Bengal villagers beat to death tranquilised leopard
1st Feb., 2019
A
leopard that had strayed into a village in Alipurduar’s Falakata on
Thursday and injured five persons was bludgeoned to death by villagers
after forest officials had darted the animal to capture it.
The
incident in Raichenga village follows panic in the district after a
spate of leopard attacks in recent weeks left three kids dead. Forest
officials have concluded a single leopard was involved in the incidents
and secured permission to “eliminate” it.
On Thursday, the
leopard in Raichenga is suspected to have sneaked in from a
neighbouring tea estate, which is close to the Jaldapara National Park,
sources said.
Nripen Barman, a farmer, spotted the leopard and
raised the alarm, prompting the animal to scamper away and take shelter
in a drain.
Foresters were informed and a team from Jaldapara
arrived. Hundreds of villagers gathered, too, some of whom started
teasing the leopard, causing it to attack the five persons. “We asked
the villagers to go away and let us trap the animal. But they did not
listen,” said a forest official.
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