Burhanpur (Madhya Pradesh): Pet dogs in Nepanagar town in Burhanpur district are having the worst of times as they are frequently attacked by leopards coming into human settlements. On April 18, a leopard struck at Tirath Singh Badgujar's house situated in Bambara village of Shahpur and attacked pet dogs. Since then, people have been living in fear and rarely venture out of their homes after dark.
During the day, they escort their children to school and back. No less affected, people in the neighbouring villages too continue to live in constant fear of the big cats. Constant vigil against leopards takes up almost all of the residents’ time, impacting their work and financial condition.
Past encounters have seen leopards prowling the vicinity, preying on dogs and cattle, yet authorities have failed to address the threat. With easy access to the city limits and proximity to the Tapti, these villages are vulnerable to regular attacks. Earlier, in the same Bambara village, a big cat struck at a farm belonging to farmer Arun Chaudhary and attacked a cow and calf under the cover of darkness.
Forest ranger Sanjay Malviya said that in efforts to address leopard sightings, announcements were made alongside the installation of cages and cameras. Despite thorough inspections by forest department personnel, the leopard managed to evade capture in the set traps.
