A CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH: An adult leopard was run over by a speeding vehicle at 2 No. Ghoronia in Naharkatia area of Dibrugarh district on Thursday evening. According to eyewitnesses, the leopard was crossing the road when a speeding vehicle hit the animal.
The locals of the area expressed concern over speeding vehicles on the road. They informed the Forest Department after which a team of police came and recovered the leopard’s body. A local said, “The leopard was killed due to overspeeding of the vehicle. It is a very unfortunate incident. The driver should be booked under the law for killing the innocent animal.” Devojit Moran, an environmentalist said, “Every year, leopard deaths due to speeding vehicles are reported. The drivers of the vehicles should maintain a minimum speed while driving in forest areas.”
Leopards are protected under Schedule 1 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Leopard populations are currently threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and are declining in large parts of the global range. Venturing out of leopards is common in tea garden areas of Assam and they often enter villages in search of food, resulting in conflict.
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