Human-wildlife conflict escalates as leopards roam residential areas

Increasingly growing leopard attacks in some vulnerable areas have put citizens, especially children, in deep panic. It has now become a major concern for the J&K Wildlife Department. This issue needs to be discussed on the table by top officials of the wildlife department to tame these unbridled leopards. Human and wild animal conflict seems now at the pinnacle.

Tracking down the footprints of this conflict that dates back to earlier civilizations wherein men, as hunters, went to nearby forests for hunting down wild animals mercilessly for meat and hide. They used many tools in killing down these animals. They even destroyed their natural habitats by cutting down forests ruthlessly. They were not well aware of wildlife discrimination. With this onslaught, the new conflict has displayed a terrifying picture on the screen; i.e. human and wildlife conflict. We see a huge number of wild animals coming down to the residential areas as humans have done nothing better other than unlimited exploitation of natural resources like forests, which nature has endowed us without charging even a single penny for it. We don’t value these valuable gifts but instead, exploit them rampantly to fulfill our needs.

Humans have destroyed natural habitats of these wild creatures to fulfill their demands that ultimately force these animals to change their habitats from forests to residential areas, looking for food and shelter. Leopard terror is more dreadful than any other wild terror. Leopards are nowadays on the prowl in many districts and are frequently being spotted on roads, walking in residential areas, and so on. Wild animals living in natural habitats have beastly instincts which are quite different from those which are reared in homes. There are abundant natural resources in the forests that have been used by humans since time immemorial. Due to an increase in population, people started using these forest areas for different purposes either for living by making houses or earning their livelihoods by illegal means. This has relentlessly put pressure on ecological balance and the natural habitats for wild animals. These conflicts will not occur if humans do not intervene by disturbing their natural habitats.

Sustainable development makes us aware of the limited exploitation of natural resources on this earth that should not disturb the ecological balance at the expense of others. The forest areas are now declining very fast in Jammu and Kashmir due to two main crucial factors as relentless cutting down of trees and constructions in the eco-sensitive areas. Such wild conflicts will continue to occur in the residential areas until humans understand the causes and consequences of this confrontation. Human losses are irreparable when such uneven calamities fall upon us; they shatter one and all. We get astounded on knowing how these wild animals take shelter inside abandoned residential areas; these animals have lost their permanent natural habitats owing to the direct human interventions and forest smugglers that ultimately have caused the ecological imbalance and increased the rate of human and wildlife conflict.

We all might be aware of the two shocking incidents that recently took place at the village Nesbal in north Kashmir Bandipora. A 7-year-old boy, Zaid Bashir, went missing suddenly in the evening. The next morning, he was found dead in the nearby forest as he was mauled by a leopard. A year ago, a girl was also mauled by a leopard two years back in Zazuna village in north Kashmir, Ganderbal, when she was with her grandmother in the apple orchard. The densely covered forests in the local vicinity keep them hidden from visualization, but sometimes they even become visible in broad daylight. CCTV cameras have been already installed in almost all the sensitive areas to track them down was a good step. Furthermore, the government should take immediate steps along with the concerned department of wildlife to curb these human eaters as soon as possible.

Leopards have the following characteristics:

1. They pounce on humans without giving any much time to escape.
2. They frown terrifyingly while attacking humans.
3. They never scare off the crowd as other animals do.
4. They attack in minutes and run away in seconds.
5. They have flexible jaws with long pointed two canine teeth on the upper and lower sides that help to kill prey immediately and take away the body.
6. They run 58kms/ hr.
7. They are deadlier than other carnivores.
8. Children are prone to this animal as it takes them away so easily.
9. They hide in bushes and sit on trees for watching out the movement of prey.
10. Their paws are strongly powerful which helps in holding the prey tightly.

Necessary precautions for saving yourself and your children:

1. Don’t go alone in the garden for cutting grass and other field chores.
2. Never stay in the garden for longer hours.
3. Don’t stay long in nearby forest areas, which are susceptible to wild animals.
4. Don’t allow your children to play outside till late evening.
5. Never forget to close the gate and windows before going to sleep.
6. Keep on vigil at night at least for one hour for the movement of leopards in your village.

The writer is a civil service aspirant and can be reached at [email protected]

Mudasir Ali