Two leopards brutally beaten to death in UP protected area

Neha Shukla | TNN | Apr 23, 2020, 20:07 IST

Photo for representative purpose only

LUCKNOW: Two leopards, both juvenile, were brutally beaten to death in two separate ranges of Katarniaghat wildlife division which is a protected area in UP and is a part of Dudhwa tiger reserve.
"We have got named FIR registered in the two cases against nine persons. Based on further investigation, action will be taken against more people," said DFO, Katarniaghat, GP Singh.
Action has also been taken under the Indian Wildlife Act.
The ill-fated big cats had ventured out of the forest and strayed into agricultural fields.
In the first incident that took place in Majra village in Kakraha range of the division, it was three-year old female which was beaten to death by villagers. It died on the spot.
"We have registered FIR against six persons in Murtiha police station," said the DFO.
In another incident, in Dhaniyabeli village of Sujauli range, the one-year old cub first entered a house of one Chhotelal. After it was chased out of the house it strayed into a field where, according to villagers, it attacked a man.
When forest staff reached the spot to rescue the feline, it attacked one of the forest guards.
Finally, when the forest department could localise the cub in a sugarcane field, it found the cub dead. FIR has been registered against three persons in the case.
PCCF (Wildlife), UP, Sunil Pandey had reached the spot along with field director, Dudhwa tiger reserve, Sanjay Pathak.