Leopard attacks: Uttarakhand govt issues guidelines for people to stay safe

Dehradun: With a surge in incidents of leopards attacking humans in various parts of Uttarakhand, including the state capital, the Uttarakhand government has asked locals to cooperate with the administration in preventing human-wildlife conflicts.

Night patrolling has been intensified in residential colonies adjacent to forests which are vulnerable from the point of view of human-wildlife conflicts and detailed guidelines have been issued for the general public to stay safe, Principal Secretary (Forest) R K Sudhanshu said on Wednesday.

Cages have been put up where leopard attacks have occurred resulting in deaths or injuries to young children, he said. Divisional forest officers (DFOs) have been asked to monitor the situation constantly, he said.

Dehradun, Tehri, Pithoragarh Pauri, Terai East, West and Central are among the places identified as "sensitive" from the point of view of human-wildlife conflicts, officials said.

A 12-year-old boy was attacked by a leopard in the Rajpur area of Dehradun recently while a four-year-old boy, who had gone to a forest with his mother to collect fodder in Udham Singh Nagar district, was mauled to death by a leopard.

The boy from Dehradun survived the attack and is undergoing treatment.

Such is the terror of leopards in Jakhan and Canal Road areas of Dehradun that people have stopped going out for morning walks while shop owners are forced to down their shutters at least an hour before their usual time, local councillor Kamal Thapa claimed.

Sandip Rawat, a resident of Jakhan said reports about leopards attacking children have scared people so much that it is the only topic of discussion among them these days.

"I do not go for morning walks anymore," he said.

In the advisory issued by the forest department on Wednesday, people have been advised to avoid going alone in forests with wildlife and travel in a group while passing through them, he said.

Extreme caution should be exercised if the presence of any wild animal is detected, it said.

"One should enter such areas only when absolutely necessary between sunset and sunrise and exercise extreme caution during this period. Children should be encouraged to go to school in groups. While going through forest areas, carry a stick," the advisory said.

"In case you encounter wild animals, be careful and maintain a safe distance. Avoid going near any wild animals or taking photos. If any wild animal is accompanied by its children/cubs, then take special care. Regularly prune the bushes around cowsheds, toilets and houses and make adequate lighting arrangements," it said.

It is absolutely necessary to do this, especially in the rainy season and fog during winter, as wild animals hide close to human habitations which increases the chance of an accidental encounter.

People have been advised not to throw garbage around their houses or on the road. Proper arrangements for their regular disposal should also be made as wild animals are attracted by easily available food which increases the chances of their encounter with humans, it said.