M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Dec 12: Camera traps are being installed in the surroundings of the place of occurrence where a leopard critically injured an eight-year-old girl Kiran on Saturday evening who later succumbed to her injuries during treatment at the government hospital in Daltonganj post-Sunday midnight.
The leopard attacked the girl at Ukamaar forest under the west range of the Chhipadohar range of the Palamu Tiger Reserve.
Giving this information, Kumar Ashish, the deputy director North division of PTR, said: “We have installed three camera traps and if needed, we will be adding six or seven more. These camera traps will tell us if the leopard is lurking in the area anymore. We want to keep a tab on its movement.”
“Our forest guards and trackers have appealed to the villagers of Ukamaar not to go even near the jungles after the sunset. Nobody can vouch if the leopard will appear at the spot again or not. Caution is the best way to ward off the dangers of wildlife,” Ashish reiterated.
Shashank Pandey, a forest guard of the area, said, “We have found samples of four pug marks of the leopard. Two of these pug marks have been cast in plaster of Paris. They are 100 per cent leopard pug marks.” On being asked if the scat of the leopard was found, the guard said: “We have not found any scat so far.”
Meanwhile, Ukamaar villagers are cautious and nervous if the leopard again comes and strikes human beings or cattle wealth. Some villagers said they heard leopard grunting and growling around 11.30 pm on Sunday night.
However, the deputy director North division of PTR said: “My trackers have not buttressed this claim to leopard grunting and growling at night.”
Ashish agreed villagers are scared. They are coming out with any number of stories about the leopard. “We are keeping a close watch on the jungles here,” he reminded.
The leopard victim Kiran Kumari was cremated at Latehar from where she hailed as she was at Ukamaar village just to spend days with her relatives there where this leopard took the toll of her life.
