Two arrested for killing leopard in Sullia forest range: Officials

Forest officials have arrested two men for killing a leopard using a snare trap in Sullia forest range of Dakshina Kannada district on Wednesday

Forest officials have arrested two men for killing a leopard using a snare trap on Wednesday. The arrested individuals have been identified as Jayarama Rai (41) and Pruthvi Raj (32), both natives of Peddambylu., officials familiar with the matter said.

Two men arrested for killing a leopard using snare trap in Sullia forest range of Dakshina Kannada district. (Representative Image)

According to officials, the incident took place in Peddambylu near Ajjavara in the Sullia forest range of Dakshina Kannada district. The officials stated that the accused farmers had set up a snare trap on the fences of their paddy fields to catch wild boars that were destroying their crops on a daily basis.

On the night of August 28, a two-year-old leopard was caught in the trap and died due to suffocation. Following the incident, the accused fled the scene. After an investigation, forest officials apprehended the accused in a nearby village.

“We have been facing a wild boar menace for many months, and despite sending multiple requests to forest officials, no action was taken,” said Vishwanath Poojari, a farmer. He added that a herd of wild boars enters their agricultural fields every day, causing significant damage to their crops. Moreover, they also have to deal with the threat of wild elephants. Poojari mentioned that the compensation provided by the department is meagre.

“Villagers informed us that the leopard died in an agricultural field. We recovered the body,” said N Manjunath, the Range Forest Officer of Sullia. He explained that the arrested individuals, Jayarama Rai and Pruthvi Raj, confessed to the crime. A case has been registered against them under Sections 9, 39, and 51 of the Karnataka Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

Manjunath clarified that leopards have not been causing trouble for villagers in this area, and it appears in the probe that the accused did not have the intention to kill the leopard. However, he said that killing animals is a serious offence. “The department is willing to grant permission to farmers to control wild boars if they apply for it. We have urged farmers not to take the law into their own hands simply due to crop damage caused by animals,” he said.

The leopard was cremated following proper wildlife procedures.