(IN): Leopard attacks increase in Mumbai

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Link: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070016798

 

*Leopard attacks increase in Mumbai*

 

Tejas Mehta

Tuesday, June 26, 2007 (Mumbai)

The monsoon is back and so are the fears. Over the last three monsoons

leopards have killed about 30 people all living on the fringe of the Sanjay

Gandhi National Park.

 

Seven-year old Ankush, who lives with his family illegally inside the Sanjay

Gandhi National Park was attacked by a leopard few years ago. He is scarred

for life but lucky to be alive.

 

''The leopard came from behind and dragged me away. My uncle caught its legs

and saved my life,'' said Ankush, leopard attack victim.

 

Now the state Forest Ministry is taking no chances. Education camps, patrol

parties and notices all in place to ensure the killings don't repeat.

 

''There is always some possibility especially when leopard is pregnant. In

the monsoon there is lot of vegetation and it is difficult to find prey and

people become easy prey for them,'' said P N Munde, Director, Sanjay Gandhi

National Park.

 

Forest officials say three years ago these leopards turned man-eaters and

therefore they were forced to keep them inside cages.

 

The leopards completely lost their freedom and became dull and lifeless, a

heavy price to pay that too because human beings encroached on their land.

 

Environmentalists say unless a buffer zone is created between the park and

the city, Mumbai could lose its biggest green zone.

 

Even today about 14,000 illegal hutments are still to be removed. And with

residential buildings mushrooming on the borders of the park the animals are

losing the land that once belonged to them.

 

In 2004 the 10,000-hectare park had over 30 leopards, 10 more than the

maximum permitted. The deer population was thin forcing the cats to look

elsewhere for food. Now the deer have doubled and only 23 leopards rule over

the forest.