Fear of Leopards and brown bears is rising in Valley with reports about the presence of three Leopards in South Srinagar areas lying in the jurisdiction of Budgam district hitting newspaper headlines for last couple of week. Interestingly the presence of Leopards in Humahama and adjoining areas in the vicinity international airport has not been noticed for the first time but last year also a leopard killed a girl child in Ompora area lying at a distance of less than five kilometers from Humhama and what matters the most is the fact that reports about Leopards and brown bears gripping fear among people are emanating from different parts of Valley day in day out. Just a week ago three Leopards were seen moving in the vicinity of a residential locality in Humhama area close to the International Airport Road Srinagar but the wildlife department has captured alive only one Leopard so for and remaining two Leopards are stilling roaming in the area forcing people to restrict their movement from 6.00 P.M in the evening to 6.00 A.M in the morning. While restring their movement from 6.00 P.M in the evening to 6.00 A.M in the morning most of old aged people and children of 12-16 years age group find it difficult to move to nearby mosques for morning and evening prayers. Though the onus of reducing the vulnerability of human populations to the movement of Leopards lies on the Wildlife department but unfortunately the inability of the department to capture the remaining two Leopards for last several days shows the working of the department in bad light and as such demands immediate attention and intervention of the top brass of the department. What concerns people is the early capturing of remaining two Leopards in the Humhama area for easing the movement of the people in this area. While the arrival of Leopards in Valley does not head to any dead end in different parts of Kashmir, the wildlife department does not initiate any initiative to restrain the movement of Leopards from the upper reaches to plains in Kashmir Valley including even the parts of civil lines areas of Srinagar city the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir.
“According to experts the cause of increasing assaults of Leopards on human populations in Kashmir is their movement to locations closer to populated areas in search of food and shelter. While removing the garbage and excessive bushes on daily basis in the surroundings could reduce the movement of Leopards in populated areas, the onus for reducing the movement of Leopards and brown bears in populated areas as such lies equally on the Wildlife department and municipal bodies in the concerned areas including Srinagar”.
Experts are of the view that as accumulation of waste in a residential area attracts stray dogs the Leopards follow their trail and move to the very residential areas. According to experts the cause of increasing assaults of Leopards on human populations in Kashmir is their movement to locations closer to populated areas in search of food and shelter. While removing the garbage and excessive bushes on daily basis in the surroundings could reduce the movement of Leopards in populated areas, the onus for reducing the movement of Leopards and brown bears in populated areas as such lies equally on the Wildlife department and municipal bodies in the concerned areas including Srinagar.
