Forest officials suspect released leopard behind attack on villagers

The female leopard who attacked humans was among the four who were captured in April after a series of attacks had left over eight people dead and two injured in the buffer zone of TATR. After being kept in the cages for nearly four months,it was decided to release three of them. The fourth one,a female,“behaving abnormally”,was not released.

Of the three released,two – both females – were radio-collared while the third,a male,was released with a normal identification collar. While the male and one of the females were released from where they were captured,as the protocol demands,the second female,captured from Mana village south of Chandrapur,was released about 20 km from her original home. The later has reportedly caused the recent two attacks on August 18 and 21.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) S S Mishra said: “Most probably it is this female that has caused the two attacks as signals received from her collar suggests. We are trying to recapture it.”

Asked why it was decided to release it away from her original place,Mishra said,“Though protocol normally requires release in the original place,there is a rider to it,which allows release in another place that is supposed to better serve the animal in terms of prey base and habitat. Mana doesn’t have a good forest place. So,we decided to release her to this place.”

Release at original place is to minimise the conflict chances further to release. The full-grown female has since moved 12 km away near Piparkhut village. The other two released leopards have,meanwhile,adjusted well to their places of release,namely Agarzari and Borda.