Is it right to hunt Supposed 'man-eater' leopards?

Read this article on Deccan chronicle:

"Hyderabad: Days after the controversy of killing a “man-eating” leopard, Hyderabad’s Shafat Ali Khan shot dead another man-eating leopard in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday following orders from the HP forest and wildlife department.

“The Himachal Pradesh forest department had been tracking the pug marks of the leopards moving in the area. They found that two male man-eating leopards were operating in the area. I spotted the big male on August 11. It charged at me and I shot it,” Khan said.

Ten days earlier some NGOs had alleged that the leopard which Khan earlier killed was not man eater. The viscera of the leopard has been sent for DNA analysis to ascertain whether it killed humans or not.

Khan said that he got the orders to shoot the second leopard from the HP forest department on August 19. City zoo curator A. Shankaran said that if the chief wildlife warden gave the orders to kill the leopards twice, specifying the area, then we can’t find fault with Khan.

“The leopards were tracked and their territorial range was mapped by forest officials. The claims of NGOs are false. If I shot a wrong leopard why would the department give me another order,” said Khan."

My query is why didn't they tranquillise those leopards and put them in zoos?
Is shooting them down the only way to solve a problem?
I also wonder on what basis does the forest department select shooters. Is it on their past shooting record? Fishy.

Unfortunately we are fighting a losing battle to save and conserve wildlife.

Ther are some perverted individuals with low self esteem who are thrilled at the prospect of 'hunting'. Killing another individual for fun. They call it 'game'.

I really dnt know what to say. Its too sad.

I somehow had missed this discussion. This topic was covered in the IndiaWilds Newsletter Vol. 5 Issue VIII (http://www.indiawilds.com/diary/indi...-5-issue-viii/).

Paramvir is right. People with inferiority complex need something to prove or build their macho image. Infact "Billy" Arjan Singh had written in his book that he was a sickly child due to prolonged illness. To overcome that he got into body building and wrestling. And he used to kill any animal or bird that he could find.

Killing animals is termed hunting/poaching and not murder:
Billy further says "A denial of animal rights terms the deliberate slaughter of other animal forms as hunting, whereas that of one human by another is murder. This false principle has contributed to our regarding the animal as a lesser breed of creation, which is really only so according to evanescent human standards and not the eternal and evolutionary one which is the eventual touchstone".

Killing Maneaters:
The Chief wildlife warden can order the killing of a maneater. Billy has nicely summarised the irony of the situation "..when habitat and prey species are destroyed and the tiger kills a human, the ecological crisis is solved by the declaration of a maneater for not obeying man-made laws, for that is the easiest solution". (The Legend of the Maneater, page 62)

All of his, when we should be treating mother earth with the same rights and respect as humans. Bolivia is taking steps in this direction.

I see so many fragmented bio-treasures that still exists, are being mowed down recklessly by Industry. All for the greed and convenience of man.

The wealth of natural life which has shaped up on Earth is a scientific miracle! And is full fledgedly fighting to destroy it.


Sometimes I wish man didnt exist!

I think for things to get atleast a little better, wildlife laws have to be strengthened by making punishments for offences, strict and serious.
And I share the same view with Paramvir Singh. I sometimes feel ashamed of being a human and the thought that comes to my mind when I'm around nature is that at which point did man go wrong?