Garhwal Post Bureau
Pauri, 23 Apr: A tragic incident in Bamthi village under Pauri block shook the region this morning when a leopard attacked a woman collecting fodder near the forest edge. Sixty-five-year-old Sita Devi had gone to cut grass close to her home when the leopard, lying in wait, pounced on her and dragged her into the forest. By the time villagers rushed to the spot, she had already succumbed to her injuries. The news spread quickly, plunging the entire area into fear and grief, with the local residents now hesitant to step out of their homes.
The death has sparked outrage among locals, who have accused the forest department of negligence. The locals claim that said that leopard activity had been reported in the area for a long time, yet no effective measures were taken despite repeated alerts. They held the department responsible for failing to act in time, which cost an innocent woman her life.
In their defence, the forest officials, however, claimed that immediate steps were being taken. SDO Ayesha Bisht confirmed that departmental teams reached the site promptly and have intensified patrolling in the affected area. Trap cameras have been installed to monitor the leopard’s movements, and cages are being placed to capture the animal at the earliest.
Villagers, meanwhile, have refused to allow the removal of the body until the administration issues orders to eliminate the leopard, which they described as a man-eater. They said this was not the first such incident and that repeated attacks have put their lives in constant danger.
The situation in the village remains tense, with forest and administrative teams attempting to pacify the residents. Security has been tightened and surveillance increased in the area. The incident has once again highlighted the growing human-wildlife conflict in the hill districts of Uttarakhand, where leopards frequently stray close to human settlements, leading to frequent tragic encounters resulting in human as well as cattle casualties.
