4 Villagers Dead After Leopards Held In Jaipur Zoo Released Back Into Sariska Tiger Reserve 3 Weeks Ago

Three weeks ago, two leopards held in Jaipur zoo for over three months were released back into the Sariska tiger reserve by the Rajasthan forest department. Four villagers have since died in leopard attacks, barely 25 km from the area where the big cats were released. Captured and declared ‘man-eaters’ in Sariska last year, and surgically castrated in the zoo to “check aggressiveness” in captivity, the leopards were considered fit and safe for release, say sources in the forest department, after forest minister Gajendra Khimsar sought their rehabilitation.