According to inspector Surya Prakash Subedi, chief of Metropolitan Police Sector Koteshwar, the leopard, which was spotted in Gothatar VDC of Kathmandu district in the wee hours of Wednesday, ran amok clawing at every one on its way after being attacked by the locals.[break]
As some of the locals angered the leopard by charging with batons and throwing stones, veterinary doctors from the Central Zoo, Jawalakhal, could not tranquilize it. The leopard was shot dead by the police later.
"After the technicians from the zoo failed to tame the leopard, we had to kill it," said Subedi. "Had we not killed the leopard, it could have caused more damage."
According to Subedi, the police shot at the leopard twice. And, when the leopard fell to the ground, angry locals thrashed it with batons, stones and bricks. The dead leopard was taken away by the staffers from the District Forest Office (DFO) of Kathmandu.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ran Bahadur Chanda, the leopard was shot after Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Chuda Mani Sharma ordered it killed.
Among the injured are policeman Manrup Giri and veterinary doctor from the zoo Bal Krishna Giri. Yubaraj Karki, a staffer from the Kathmandu DFO, was also injured in the leopard attack.
The rest of the injured are locals of Gothatar VDC-1 and 9. They have been identified as Bablu Thapa, 25, Keshav Lamichhane, 55, Narayan Lamichhane, 40, Kamala KC, 50, Madhav KC, 36, Lanka Bahadur Lopchan, 28, Ashish Shrestha, 16 and Shri Krishna Dahal, 40. None of them are critically injured, though.
The locals said the leopard might have entered the village from nearby Gokarna forest area. Having spotted the leopard in a bush, the locals had informed the police.
A team of police had reached there at 6 am. "We struggled to capture the leopard for nearly nine hours," said inspector Subedi. "It was only around 3 pm that we managed to kill it."
As the police and technicians from the zoo failed to take the leopard under control, hundreds of people gathered around, which made the leopard more aggressive.
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We failed to tranquilize as leopard was agitated
Radha Krishna Gharti
Senior veterinary technician
Central Zoo, Jawalakhel
As I was on a leave, my colleague Bal Krishna Giri went alone to tranquilize a wild leopard that had entered Gothatar village of Kathmandu on Wednesday. But he could not tame the leopard and instead, he himself got injured in the attempt. His wrist and abdomen were injured but he is out of danger. He is now taking rest at his own home.
After my friend failed to tame the leopard, I was asked to join the effort. By the time I reached there, the leopard had already turned violent. It was hiding in a bush. Whenever the locals chased it out of the bush, he ran amok injuring any one on its way. Even I could not tranquilize it.
We use tranquilizers only when we are sure that we can hit the dart into one of the thighs of wild animals. But it was impossible on Wednesday as the leopard was highly agitated. The locals were shouting so loud that the leopard kept on running from one place to another.
As the Kathmandu Valley is surrounded by forests, it is only natural that leopards are spotted here. But what the locals of Gothatar did on Wednesday was completely irrational. Had they not attacked the leopard, so many people, including my colleague, would not have been injured.
When leopards are spotted, the locals should inform us and police. Until we take them under control, the locals should maintain peace. Chasing away or attacking such animals is a big no. I hope people in other localities will learn a lesson from what happened in Gothatar on Wednesday.
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PHOTOS: BHASWOR OJHA
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