TEAM HERALD
BICHOLIM: Residents of Koparde in Sattari taluka have had anxious moments for almost two months, after a leopard reportedly attacked seven bovines in the village.
Worried that the leopard could target people in the village next, residents submitted a memorandum to the Sattari mamlatdar, with copies to the forest minister, forest officials at Valpoi and the local sarpanch, requesting immediate action in the matter.
“I lost two bovines ~ a calf and a bull, a few days before the Ganesh festival. The carcass of the calf was found in the cashew plantation after a few days; however, we are yet to find the bull and we strongly suspect that it has been eaten by the wild cat,” informed Vishnu Gaonkar from Koparde.
“We have been hearing roars of the leopard almost every alternate day over the last eight days,” said Siddhesh Chari of Sal-Bicholim, who had gone to a relative’s house in the village for a vacation.
Rukmini Kharvat of Dhangarwada claimed that two of her cows were seriously injured by the leopard some days back.
“We are unable to sleep at night. In order to safeguard our animals, we keep the lights on throughout the night in the cowshed and also keep a close watch on the animals there at night,” Kharvat said.
Locals informed that veterinary doctors have been doing their best to save Kharvat’s two cows which were attacked by the leopard.
“The wounds are so deep that their bones are clearly visible,” said a resident.
Since the last eight days, the leopard has attacked at least eight animals and residents claimed that the wild cat has been spotted close to houses in the village.
“During the immersion ceremony on the fifth day of Ganesh Chaturthi, we were busy singing aarti when the leopard was spotted behind our house. It’s surprising that despite such a noise, it came so close to our house and only after a torchlight was flashed, the leopard fled from the site,” said Narayan Chari.
Responding to their concerns, the Forest Department has laid a cage and efforts are on to trap the leopard before it caused serious damage to villagers.
