Sivasagar, Sept. 29: Two female leopard cubs were killed at Khoragarh village in Kalugaon under Amguri police station of Sivasagar district last night. The incident comes when the state is already in a rage over rhino killings.
District assistant conservator of forests Gunin Saikia said today, "Yesterday, a female leopard had entered a bamboo clump in the village with her cubs and killed a cow. The villagers, while handing over the carcasses to us this morning, told us that dogs had chased down the cubs and killed them. We have sent them for post mortem." Sources said the villagers had killed the cubs, hanged the carcasses from a bamboo pole and then displayed them in a stall.
Asked about the mother, Saikia said she would most likely desert the area when she does not find her cubs.
He said the villagers had not informed the forest department about any attack by leopards. "We were not aware that leopards were frequenting the area and killing cattle, as it is quite far (7km) from any forest," he said.
A source said there have been leopard attacks in the village and the department had even caught one once. The animals frequent a stream flowing closeby and sometimes enter it in search of food.
