Leopard kills man in Battal forests

MANSEHRA: A leopard killed a man in the reserved forests in Battal area of the district on Monday while the authorities concerned later fixed hunting cages at possible entry and exit points to prevent the entry of wild creatures into residential areas.

“We have finished our preliminary investigation and sought financial assistance for the family of the victim killed by the beast in the reserved forest,” Taimur Shah, the divisional wildlife officer, told reporters here on Monday. Mohammad Arshad, 40, had gone to Katha Shakura Rihari reserved forest in Gall Galli area where a leopard attacked and killed him. The locals shifted the body to a nearby hospital where doctors handed it over to the bereaved family after completing medico-legal formalities.

Taimur Shah said that as it was a reserved forest, people had been warned not to move there and the victim had gone there where the incident happened. “Following the incident, we rushed there and fixed cages at such points wherefrom a wildcat can enter into the population and if it attempted to come down into the settlements, it might be captured,” he said.

He said that though the latest incident happened in the thick reserved forest, the big cats could leave their natural habitat into settlements in search of food because of the fresh cold wave triggered by heavy snowfall in the forests. However, he said his department would try to restrict them. “For preventing such influx of wild creatures, particularly leopards, we have fixed hunting cages at possible entry and exit points,” he added.

He said auto detective motion infrared camera traps (ADMICT), which were installed at three different entry and exit points, can capture motion picture and video clips and it would make clear if an animal is present in a population.

“The ADMICT can trace an animal in an area,” he added.