Villagers in Pauri relieved as maneater leopard is hunted down

By Arun Pratap SinghGarhwal Post Bureau
Pauri, 11 Dec: Residents of Gajald village in Pauri district have heaved a sigh of relief following the elimination of a leopard that had been spreading terror in the area for several days. In a late-night operation, which concluded early this morning, renowned sharpshooter Joy Hukil and his team successfully neutralised the maneater leopard after an intense search operation. The Forest Department personnel subsequently recovered the carcass and transported it to the Nagdev Range in Pauri, where a detailed post-mortem examination and inquiry are scheduled to be conducted. Later, on his arrival in the village, Hukil was accorded a warm welcome by the grateful residents of Gajald, who had been living in fear of the big cat’s presence. However, many maneating leopards and even tigers and some bears continue to attack the villagers or their livestock in the state.
It may be recalled that the villagers from Gajald had been living in fear ever since the leopard killed a resident on 4 December and attacked cattle in the vicinity. Though the forest department had also put up cages in the area to trap the feline alive, the efforts did not succeed. After more attacks, the forest department granted permission to shoot the maneater. Experienced shooters Joy Hukil and Rakesh Barthwal worked jointly to eliminate the threat and ensure the safety of the population. Local anger had been simmering, especially after 45-year-old Rajendra Nautiyal was killed by the leopard in Gajald late last night, followed by repeated attacks on domestic animals. This sequence of incidents compelled the villagers to demand the immediate deployment of a private shooter in addition to the departmental shooter to neutralise the leopard. However, only after the postmortem of the carcass, can it be certainly determined whether the female leopard killed by Hukil was the maneater.
Responding to the demands, the Forest Department deployed private shooter Joy Hukil in the area. He tracked the leopard late at night and shot it, bringing long-awaited respite to the villagers. The fear in the region, which had intensified due to continuous leopard incidents across several development blocks in Pauri district, has now eased to some extent. Only last Wednesday, a woman in the Chaubattakhal area was also seriously injured in a leopard attack. The persistent activity of the leopard in Gajald throughout the past week had created an atmosphere of severe anxiety among residents, prompting the demand for specialised intervention.
DFO Pauri Abhimanyu Singh today stated that the leopard killed was an approximately five-year-old female and further claimed that the animal caught on trap cameras installed near the attack site matched the one killed. The carcass has been brought to the Nagdev Range in Pauri for further examination.
Gajald Gram Pradhan Shankar Nautiyal said that the Forest Department’s efforts had finally brought relief to the villagers after nearly a week of terror. He urged the department not to remove the team or the cages from the village yet, to ensure continued safety. DFO Garhwal Forest Division Abhimanyu Singh added that the leopard was killed through the coordinated efforts of the entire team and that departmental teams would remain deployed as before to ensure the villagers’ security.
Meanwhile the government officials have claimed that Chief Minister Dhami had taken the continued leopard attacks in and around Gajald seriously and had made it clear to the forest officials that the safety of the villagers is of paramount importance and that any negligence would not be tolerated. Following these instructions, the Forest Department, local administration and wildlife experts carried out this operation through a coordinated effort.
The government has further assured that vigilance and patrolling will be increased in the affected area to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future. The CM has assured the villagers that the state government is fully committed to ensuring their safety and protecting their lives.