Residents kill leopard following attack on man in Duliajan

A CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: A leopard was killed by angry residents of Duliajan in Assam's Dibrugarh district on Wednesday after it allegedly attacked a man. According to reports, the incident occurred in the Tipling Gutibari locality of Duliajan on Wednesday afternoon, when the leopard attacked a local resident identified as Rubul Dutta.

"Rubul Dutta sustained injuries in the attack and was immediately rushed to the Oil India Hospital in Duliajan. He is currently undergoing treatment," a source said.

Following the attack, panic spread across the locality, and an agitated group of residents retaliated and killed the leopard.

For months, several areas of Duliajan, including Madhuting Borkola and Tipling, have reportedly witnessed frequent leopard movement, particularly after dusk. Residents claim repeated appeals to the Forest Department to trap the animal went unheeded.

"We have informed the Forest Department, but no action was taken. We had no other option to protect ourselves, and the agitated residents killed the leopard," a local resident said.

Earlier, similar incidents of leopards being killed in Assam villages have been reported, while authorities have often failed to intervene effectively.

Environmentalist Devojit Moran urged action, saying, "The Forest Department should take cognisance under the Wildlife Protection Act against those who killed the animal. Conviction rates in wildlife crimes are low, and the department must act swiftly to apprehend those responsible."

Human-leopard conflict has been rising in village areas as shrinking forest cover forces leopards to enter settlements in search of food, leading to increased encounters with humans.

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