police pump 20 shots into a leopard

[Bibhav Behera]

Police pump 20 bullets in leopard
The Pioneer
Srinagar
19 Jan 2010

Khursheed Wani
A contingent of Jammu & Kashmir Police shot dead a leopard who had taken shelter in a cowshed after being chased away by villagers in Prichoo pocket of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Wildlife activists have taken umbrage on the police action saying that the animal could have been saved after tranquilising.

Sources said a leopard had ventured into Prichoo village near Pulwama town on Sunday afternoon. As the villagers spotted the big cat, they panicked and began chasing the animal. The leopard immediately took shelter in a cowshed that was encircled by villagers.

Meanwhile, the inhabitants informed the local police and the wildlife authorities to arrive on the spot. Locals said that a police party approached the cowshed and opened fire through a window on the animal killing him instantly.

SP Kifayat Haider said the villagers were shouting in panic and wanted the animal to be liquidated before the dusk. He said the police party waited for the wildlife experts to arrive on the scene, but they never turned up.

A wildlife activist, Mubashir Hussain, said the leopard could have been saved and rehabilitated back to his habitat if the wildlife protection department could have arrived at the scene. The Wildlife Department, on the other hand, complains that they lack the infrastructure for catching the wild animals alive. Sources said the police personal had pumped 20 bullets into the poor animal’s body.

Found this article on a new site started by the govt for collating info on tigers...
http://tigernet.nic.in/Alluser/News_...px?News_Id=190

[Rahul Parekh]

Yes, I do read this horrific news today in newspaper Very sad and cruel end of a precious and graceful life......

Presence of Big Cat always create panic among people but this is not the humane way to get rid of wild animal. They are always innocent and do as per their natural instinct. This is impossible to understand by illiterate and poor people...

Other hand some people want to be hero in the mind of poor villagers by taking life of innocent, helpless, vulnerable and weak...........20 bullets OMG!

[Mrudul Godbole]

This is unfortunate. It is just a blame game, the police blaming the forest officers, who are blaming their resources. Innocent lives will be lost in this process.