DEHRADUN: Leopards killed two persons and seriously injured one in three separate incidents in the last 24 hours in Uttarakhand, authorities said.
In one of the incidents, a leopard is suspected to have attacked a biker on the move with a pillion rider.
The leopard apparently targeted the pillion rider, throwing him off the bike. The leopard then reportedly dragged him to some distance and disappeared, reports said.
Chief wildlife warden Samir Sinha said the season’s thick vegetation provides an ideal cover to the carnivores to attack humans and other easy prey.
“The latest incidents are also a sequel to the growing man-animal conflict,” he said. Sinha has requested villagers to be more cautious.
In the first case reported Tuesday morning, a leopard mauled39-year old woman Reena Devi of village Dugadda Godi, Kotdwar. She was returning home after dropping her kid to school.
In another incident reported from Almora, two youths returning to their hometown on a bike after holidaying were attacked by a leopard.
The bike driver, Till Mohd. Anas, was left with no time as the attacker pounced on the pillion rider, Afsarul, and fled to the jungle dragging the victim to some distance.
The attack on a moving bike has baffled officials, who rushed senior officials with tranquillizer guns.
The Director of Rajaji Tiger Reserve Saket Badola has again issued a note of caution. Villagers are told about the behaviour of leopards and tigers.
“The leopard prefers an edge-type area before targeting its prey. On the other hand, a tiger feels more comfortable in a dense forest area.” Forest sources say in the last five years, 77 people have died in leopard attacks.