Chikkamagaluru: Forest officials shot dead leopard
Chikkamagaluru: A leopard responsible for killing a child and attacking another has been shot dead by forest department staff during a capture operation near Bhairapur village in the taluk.
The incidents began on November 20 when a leopard snatched a 5-year-old child from a labourer couple living in a shed near a stone quarry in Shivapur village, right in front of the parents; the boy’s body was later recovered.
On November 28, the same animal attacked a 10-year-old boy in Bhairapur. In response, the forest department deployed three tranquilliser guns from Sakrebail and veterinarians from Mangaluru, Bandipur, Bannerghatta, and Tarikere zoos to launch the capture drive on Saturday.
Forest officials stated, “Staff were tracking the leopard spotted near Bhairapur. When it charged from the lantana bushes towards personnel, they fired a shot in self-defence. The animal moved a short distance before collapsing dead.”
They added that multiple traps had been set in surrounding villages like Nandi, Kenchapur, Kenchapur Gate, and Bhairapur to capture the man-eater, which had a history of targeting humans, especially children, but it evaded them due to prior experience.
Wildlife experts have raised concerns, questioning how the department confirmed this was the same leopard behind both attacks and what tracking methods were used, given the lack of specialised expertise among staff. They demand clarity on the post-mortem report to verify the animal’s identity and rule out errors in the operation.
