The Karnataka forest division issued a shoot-at-sight order towards a leopard after the animal killed a girl in Mysuru, officers aware of the matter mentioned on Friday.
The deceased recognized as Meghana, 23, was attacked by the leopard within the yard of her home on Thursday, mentioned one of many villagers of S Kebbehundi from T Narasipura taluk.
“We have been watching TV at 6.30pm when Meghana mentioned that she goes to the yard to scrub garments. Listening to her screams, we rushed to the spot…she was being attacked by a leopard. Once we raised an alarm, the leopard left her and escaped into the forest space,” mentioned her uncle Basavaraju.
The villagers rushed her to T Narasipura taluk hospital however she succumbed to her accidents. Staging a protest outdoors the hospital, the irate villagers refused to remove the physique and demanded ₹50 lakh compensation. “Meghana had accomplished her commencement in commerce from T Narasipra faculty and wished to pursue her grasp’s diploma”, mentioned Basavaraju.
He mentioned the household had filed a grievance with the forest division three months again {that a} leopard and its cubs have been sighted in a sugar cane discipline close to the home. “However the forest officers didn’t take steps to catch the leopard… as a substitute they suggested us to go to that facet…had the forest division taken well timed motion a treasured life may have been saved,” he mentioned.
Chief conservator of forests Dr Malathi Priya, and superintendent of police R Chetan held discussions with villagers and persuaded them to remove the physique. Later, the forest division officers introduced ₹7.5 lakh compensation to the household, ₹2000 month-to-month pension to the household for 5 years and a job for a member of the family on a contract foundation.
“The senior forest officers on the state degree have given permission to shoot the leopard because the animal killed two individuals in 30 days. We’ve got launched an operation to catch the leopard,” mentioned Priya. On October 31, a 21-year-old man, Manjunath, was mauled to dying by a leopard in T Narsipura Taluk’s ML Hundi village. Manjunath was attacked by the leopard when he and his pals have been coming back from a temple.
“A 15 member workforce of specialists from Nagarhole, Bandipura and different locations have been trying to find the leopard since Friday morning. Eight cages have been positioned and 10 lure cameras have been mounted to seize the animal. We’re utilizing drones additionally for combing operations,” Priya mentioned.
“T Narasipura RFO has been despatched on go away as he didn’t act in time when the villagers complained of the leopard menace,” the chief conservator of forests mentioned.
In one other growth, an alert was sounded in Kengeri, Kumbalagodu, Devanahalli and surrounding localities of Bengaluru after locals noticed 4 leopards within the space. A search is underway in each the cities and the authorities have requested individuals keep warning. On Thursday, the authorities had additionally discovered the carcass of a deer killed by a leopard in Kodipalya close to Kanakapura on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
In Devanahalli, a leopard was seen close to Chikkajala on the premises of a non-public firm. A workforce of 5 officers from the Karnataka forest division searched the world however the animal remained untraceable.
“The carcass was discovered close to Turahalli forest area, which is adjoining to the Bannerghatta Nationwide Park. We’ve got positioned a cage there to seize the leopard. One other leopard was additionally noticed close to Chikkajala on the Kempegowda Worldwide Airport Street. The leopard was captured within the CCTV cameras,” deputy conservator of forest, Bengaluru city division, Ravishankar S S mentioned.
A cage has been arrange on the premises of a non-public manufacturing unit at Tarabanahalli in Devanahalli taluk of Bengaluru rural district, to lure the animal, mentioned an official.
(With inputs from Coovercolly Indresh)