‘Send stray cattle to panjrapoles to prevent conflicts with wild cats’

Rajkot: In a bid to avoid human and wild animal conflict near the forest areas, the Bhavnagar forest division has issued an advisory asking all gram panchayats under its jurisdiction to send stray cattle from their villages to the cattle pounds also known as the panjrapoles.
The decision was taken after two recent leopard attacks resulting in death of two children. The department has also been getting frequent complaints about leopard movement near villages in revenue areas.
There are six ranges in Bhavnagar district with 200-250 villages in each range. More than 55 leopards have been sighted in the district by the forest officials. According to forest department its is not possible for them to keep watch at each of the villages. The forest department has also informed local mamlatdars to keep ask villagers to put stray cattle in panjarpoles to avoid man-animal conflict.
Mahuva range forest officer Nirav Makwana told TOI, “The villagers bring stray cattle near their homes during monsoon to use their dung as fertilizer. They keep these strays outside their houses. Even dogs come close to the villages during monsoon. As a result, wild animals like leopard and lion find easy prey in the village and while catching a prey it comes into conflict with humans.”
In a letter addressed to village sarpanches the forest department has warned that in case of high population of stray cattle in the village the village panchayat will be responsible for leopard or lion attacks on humans.
A letter addressed to the Chapariyari village sarpanch has asked the villagers to restrict the movement of dogs in the village.
A leopard was captured after it had killed a child in Itiya village of Talaja two days back. The forest department is also giving unique identity code to the leopards that have attacked humans before releasing it into the wild.