Canacona: The increase in incidences of sighting of leopards and straying near human settlements inthe villages of Canacona lately have been putting both the leopard and the locals in a spot of bother. The  reason attributed for such proximity is their ever-growing numbers and easy availability of food near human settlements; both of which are giving many a sleepless night to the residents here say local residents.The hair raising memory of attacks on a man and woman in the past; and three adult leopards falling in open wells in Galgibagha and Poinguinim last year is enough to run a chill down the spine of the locals here. Eventually the owners of these wells reported financial losses due to damages to their pump sets and accessories installed at the wells along with deaths of some domesticated animals attacked by these leopards. Even though both the majestic cats and humans have escaped with minor injuries in this game of hide and seek, in the future such encounters cannot be accounted for as accidents as the leopards have become more daring and are spotted at an attacking range more than ever in recent times says locals here.

The villages of Loliem, Poinguinim, Cotigao, Gaondogrem, Sristhal, Agonda and Cola have been reporting most straying of this wild animal, and each time a news of leopard sighting in the village goes viral, the people, especially who have young ones in their family are affected the most as fear psychosis grips till the leapord is trapped and taken away by a wild life rescue team.Diogo Da' Silva a social activist says that all villages of Canacona are on the periphery of the forests and with no natural predators for this big cat their numbers are increasing day by day. "This has put additional stress on availability of food in the wild during this time of the year, which make them look for easy catch in the form of dogs, cattle, goats, hens etc" Da, Silva Stressed.Locals familiar with the behaviour of these cats have realised that the increasing temperatures and clearing of bushes in man-made forests like cashew plantations on various hills of the taluka draw them in direct conflict with human beings. The forest department has a scheme to compensate for the losses incurred due to wild animals.