SANGUEM: The villagers of the hilly area of Tudov ward in Netravali, Sanguem panicked after they found three cows dead, which they suspected to have been killed by a pack of leopards on Monday.
According to villagers, the cowherds had returned home for lunch at noon as usual after leaving their cattle for grazing in the nearby ground in the village.
However, while having lunch, they were taken aback as some cattle returned with neck injuries. The panicked villagers rushed to the grazing ground only to find three cows lying dead on the ground with neck injuries and another almost half eaten in the suspected attack by leopards.
The cattle which were killed belonged to Prabhakar Puno Velip and Kushta Gaonkar respectively, while the ones injured in the attack were owned by Vitthal Gaonkar.
The villagers along with former panchayat member Satish Gaonkar informed that in cases of tree felling, the Forest Department officials immediately come rushing to the village, but in this suspected leopard attack on the cattle, the forest officials did not visit the village.
Gaonkar informed that the Forest Department does not even provide any compensation to the villagers in such cases which put the locals in severe financial crisis.
The villagers complained that at the time of harvesting wild animals including bison enter the paddy fields and create havoc.
The villagers urged the Forest Department to probe whether the attacks on their cattle were by leopards or tigers as for the first time three cattle were killed in the attack and four others were injured.
