Presence of wild bear creates panic in Shopian area
Wildlife team starts operation in Ganderbal to trap another leopard
Shopian/Ganderbal: Panic gripped Kamdulan belt of Shopian after a wild black bear was spotted in the area by locals on Monday morning.
Locals from the area said some people spotted a black bear in the area on Monday morning and accordingly the concerned department was informed.
They said that presence of bear has created fear among local residents and they requested wildlife authorities to capture the animal at an earliest for the safety of people along with their livestock.
They said that they are unable to move outside their residences due to the fear of the bear and requested the department to catch the animal as soon as possible
Officials within the wildlife department said that a team has been rushed to the spot and efforts are on to capture the wild animal.
Despite heavy rains, team is there for the safety of people, they said.
Pertinently, wild animals injured several people this year in Shopian district besides that several sheep were also killed during such attacks.
Two leopards were killed by locals in retaliation after they attacked them in the area in the ongoing year.
Moreover dozens of wildlife animals mainly leopards were caught by the department in the district this year.
Pertinently several persons including two minors lost their lives in man animal conflict this year in Kashmir.
In another such incident authorities launched a manhunt to track a leopard in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
The leopard mauled a 7-year old girl to death on Sunday evening and after the incident Wild Life Department launched a massive search operation to capture the wild beast.
Pertinently, on Sunday late evening, a leopard took away a 7-year-old girl from an orchard when her grand-mother was accompanying her.
The incident occurred in Zazuna village of Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. Police, locals and Wild Life team had launched a search operation shortly after the incident and recovered the girl in critical condition at a place nearly one kilometer from the orchard.
The girl was taken to hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The deceased girl was a resident of Zazuna village.
DFO Wildlife Warden Central, Altaf Ahmad said that a massive search operation is still underway to capture the leopard. “I also visited the spot but so far the leopard has not been sighted anywhere,” he said.
Altaf Ahmed said that before the leopard strikes again and takes away the life of any other person, it is very important to capture it. “We are on job and hopefully the wild beast will be captured,” he said.
