Several hundred residents in Mandawar and its neighbouring villages in Sohna, around 20 km from Gurugram, are living in fear for the past several weeks because of the regular sighting of a leopard here. A leopard was beaten to death by residents of Mandawar in November last year after it strayed into the village.
Spotted on Tuesday
A family staying on the outskirts of Mandawar sighted the leopard on Tuesday evening and a team of Forest Department officials visited the village after the matter was reported to them. Mandawar Sarpanch Dhan Singh said that the leopard was being sighted frequently in the village and had even attacked animals. “On Monday, the leopard took away a goat. The feline returned on Tuesday around 7.30 p.m. Over a dozen people saw it. The leopard has preyed on several Nilgais over the past few weeks and a sense of panic has gripped the area. The villagers are scared to go out to the fields early in the morning and late in the evening,” said Mr. Dhan Singh.
Awareness among villagers
Besides Mandawar, the feline has also been spoted in neighbouring villages of Kheri Lala, Nimot, Tethar and Dhouj over the past few weeks. Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Shyam Sunder said that the department has received several reports about the leopard, but the animal was free to roam around as it was mostly forest area.
Water search
“I visited Mandawar village today [on Wednesday] with my team following reports of a leopard being present in the region. We created awareness among the villagers on how to deal with the situation if they encounter a leopard or any other wild animal. We also told them that the leopard was an endangered animal and could not be harmed or killed. We also pasted posters to sensitise the villagers,” said Mr. Sunder.
The forest official said that the feline mostly strayed into villages in search of food and water. With the natural sources of water drying up, the forest department had already placed water tanks in the forest to prevent the leopard from entering inhabited areas, Mr. Sunder said.
Mr. Dhan Singh, however, said that the villagers were planning to lodge a complaint with the police and meet the Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram in this regard. “We want the administration to catch the animal and release it away from the inhabited areas. We are living under constant fear. The government must act to instil a sense of confidence among villagers,” said Mr. Singh.
