Kashmir wildlife authorities have launched a rigorous search involving installation of automatic cameras and two permanent camps to trap a leopard in some 200 sq km area of Srinagar after sightings reported by residents in the past three days.
The wildlife department’s trap teams and officials have been searching Bagh Mehtab, Rangret, Wanbal, Rawalpora, Peerbagh and Hyderpora suburbs of Srinagar after the first credible sighting of the animal was reported on Friday.
Wildlife warden, central Kashmir, Altaf Hussain Dentoo said with Rawalpora as centre, they are looking around in areas within 8-10km radius. “Our actual evidence for the presence of the animal was in Alamdar Colony, Rawalpora, where the leopard’s image was trapped in a camera. Since then I have received 25 calls,” Dentoo said. The areas connect with central Kashmir’s Budgam and its vegetation and forest areas besides Srinagar international airport.
“This is so scary. We hardly come out and don’t allow children to play even in the courtyard,” said Nahida, a homemaker with two young kids from Hyderpora. “The authorities need to capture this animal as soon as possible. The schools are reopening after the winter vacations from Wednesday,” she said.
Besides laying traps, the authorities have also launched a door-to-door awareness campaign. Mayor Junaid Mattu has advised people to exercise caution. “There have been sightings of a leopard in the Rawalpora-Wanabal-Hyderpora belt of south Srinagar. The wildlife department has been on the job for the last couple of days trying to track the animal. People living in the above belt are advised to exercise appropriate caution,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Besides laying traps, the authorities have also launched a door-to-door awareness campaign. Mayor Junaid Mattu has advised people to exercise caution. “There have been sightings of a leopard in the Rawalpora-Wanabal-Hyderpora belt of south Srinagar. The wildlife department has been on the job for the last couple of days trying to track the animal. People living in the above belt are advised to exercise appropriate caution,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Dentoo said they have set up two camps in Rawalpora and Wanabal, where teams have been stationed permanently. He said the department has also installed automatic cameras at vulnerable spots which will catch the movement of the animal.