Leopards create panic

Nizamabad: With people encroaching into the habitats of animals in the last few years, wild animals are being forced to enter residential colonies which is creating panic among people. Besides, there has been a rise in the number of leopards in Nizamabad district in the last few years. People living in villages near the reserved forest areas have been living in fear of being attacked by the wild animals. They are taking precautionary steps to prevent such attacks from wild animals, specially leopards.

In the last few days, leopards were witnessed at Madhapur village in Makloor mandal and Pondurthi in Bhiknoor mandal. Panic stricken villagers informed about the movement of leopards to the forest officials and police but not much was done. The villagers said they were fearing to go to their agriculture fields due to the movement of leopards.

As per the wildlife census carried out by the forest department, around 60 leopards are moving in Nizamabad and Kamareddy forest divisions limits. A leopard can move in 20-25 km a day.

Speaking to this newspaper, Nizamabad forest range officer Ravi Mohan Bhatt said that leopards could kill goats and dogs. Hunting dogs is a common phenomenon for leopards, he explained. “We are ready to catch the wild animals, if people inform us,” he said. He suggested that people should not harm the wild animals. They will have to face criminal charges if they do so, he added. He said that the wild animals were entering residential areas in search of food and hunting down dogs and goats.

Leopards are called Jitta Puli in local parlance.

In Madhapur village of Makloor mandal, people could see the leopard moving on a hillock near the village. They fear it would enter the village in nights.