Killing of big cats worries experts

Sun, May 11 12:05 AM

WILDLIFE EXPERTS and conservationists have expressed concern over growing human-animal conflict, leading to gruesome killings of endangered species like leopards. On Thursday, a mob killed a maneater leopard in Belihar village.

The experts urged the government as well as forest authorities to make sincere efforts to protect and preserve these animals besides generating mass awareness towards wildlife. Perturbed over the gruesome killing of a leopard in Belihar village on Thursday, wildlife activist Krishna Kumar Mishra told HT that "leopard's death is really shocking and time has come when everyone including the government and wildlife authorities must sort out the root cause behind the human animal conflicts and initiate serious efforts to avert them".

Mishra said "the habitats of the carnivorous in protected areas were fast deteriorating, which had adversely disturbed the ideal ratio between prey and predators". Terai Nature Conservation Society (TNCS) convener Dr.

Vijay Prakash Singh was also expressed his worry over the episode and ascribed the unwanted human-animal conflict to be its root cause. Dr.

Singh said, "Be it the killing of a leopard in Semra in Nighasan range by the furious mob in 2006 or that one in Khamaria region on Thursday, the big cats met their ill-fate following their conflict with the human being.".

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