(IN): Youth kills leopard in Dibrugarh

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Youth

kills leopard in DibrugarhTNN 15 July 2009, 11:24pm IST

TINSUKIA: A leopard was killed by a teenage villager at Bokpara, inside

Bokul tea estate of Dibrugarh district on Wednesday.

 

The panic-stricken teenager from Bokpara, Jamuna Gogoi killed the three-year

old female leopard with an axe after the big cat attacked his 18-year old

brother Diganto Gogoi around 10 am. The injured has been shifted to Assam

Medical College Hospital, Dibrugarh.

 

The incident took place barely three weeks after a leopard was killed by

labourers of the Socklating tea estate of Upper Assam's Jorhat district. The

leopard had attacked four women labourers.

 

" The leopard killed today was medium-sized and had been spotted roaming

amidst the bushes of this tea estate along with a big leopard a few months

ago, " Anurag Singh, DFO of Dibrugarh forest division said. He added that as

per investigation, the killing of the big cat by Gogoi, was an act of self

defense.

 

G Barbaro, manager of the tea estate said, " Few teenagers were crossing the

Bakpara area when the leopard attacked. Jamuna Gogoi, apparently, hit the

leopard on the head and it died on the spot. "

 

According to Barbaro, the forest department had put up a cage in the tea

estate since the two leopards were spotted. " Barely a month ago, a leopard

had attacked three tea labourers and injured them seriously. Since then the

labourers have been living in fear, " he added.

 

Incidents of leopard-man conflict are on the rise in the state, especially

in Upper Assam. According to forest officials, around 11 leopards have been

killed and over 13 people have been injured in man-leopard clashes this

year.

 

In the past two years, over 26 leopards were killed in Upper Assam and over

30 people were injured.

 

Wildlife conservationists and state forest officials feel the centre should

churn out an exclusive plan on leopard conservation. Tea industry officials

are also thinking of a plan on the lines of Project Tiger' and Project

Elephant.'

 

Unlike other big cats species which prefer to remain deep inside the

forests, the habitat of the leopards is near the tea gardens, on the fringe

of forests. With forest cover shrinking with every passing day, the leopards

are venturing out into human settlement in search of food.

 

 

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