My1sttoday News — A Leopard tore three kids apart in India, in less than 48 hours. The authorities have ordered the animal killed following the discovery of the bodies in three separate incidents in the Jammu and Kashmir region of northern India.
According to report, the youngest victim is a 10-year-old girl named Rutba Manzoor, whose body was recovered from woodland close to her home in the Uri area on Tuesday, June 15th.
After a search to find the man-eating animal in the dense forest failed, the rescue team made a tragic discovery. Her death sparked furious protests, with Rutba’s relatives blocking the Srinagar to Uri highway over the alleged inaction by the wildlife department.
It comes after two boys were killed in suspected leopard attacks over the weekend. The body of 12-year-old Shahid Ahmed was found on Sunday evening after he went missing while out grazing his family’s cattle. While on Saturday, another boy, Muneer Ahmad, 15, was also mauled to death after suffering injuries consistent with a wild animal attack.
According to Kashmir News Service, the leopard is said to still be roaming the woods of Uri, India.
Local residents have pleaded with the authorities to catch the animal. A report revealed that, a regional wildlife warden has ordered the Leopard to be haunted down and killed by any means, if it can’t be stunned.
Suresh Gupta, chief wildlife warden for Jammu and Kashmir said he was instructing his team “to hunt or cause the said animal to be hunted forthwith after completing the required formalities”.
And “It shall be ensured that all efforts to capture the animal through trapping cages or tranquilising have been exhausted before eliminating the animal.” He added.
Such animal attacks on humans have become increasingly common in the region as humans move further and further into the leopards’ territory.
According to report, a meeting was held at the Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla’s office between officials and police. On Tuesday June 15th, Baramulla Deputy Commissioner Syed Sehrish Asgar’s office said authorities have been directed to capture or kill the leopard by mobilising all available resources.
“The Department for Wildlife Protection” whose job it is to deal with such incidents, said it had recruited a team of 50 men to look for the deadly Leopard.
Rashid Naqash, regional Wildlife Protection Warden, said he is confident they will find and capture the leopard in a jiffy.
He told the Kashmir Observer: “This is a coordinated operation with forest protection, Jammu and Kashmir police and locals who are trying to catch or kill the animal.”
Naqash reported that officials have provided tranquilisers, cages, and other equipment to hunt down and “eliminate” the leopard, with sharpshooters deployed in the woods.
However, he warned that the deadly cat is an “unpredictable” animal that can strike anywhere at any time. “So it’s crucial to take precaution and be vigilant,” he added.
Harvinder Singh, Sub Divisional Magistrate for Uri told the Kashmir Observer that the children’s families will be provided with compensation of over 400,000 rupees (£4,142).
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