Three villagers injured in leopard attack in Kashmir

Srinagar Mar 21 (UNI) A leopard attacked and injured three persons in south Kashmir, official sources said today.

They said a wild leopard, who had come down from the forest, suddenly appeared at Akad village in Anantnag district of south Kashmir and attacked the villagers.

However, before the villagers could rush inside their houses, the wild leopard attacked and injured three villagers.

The injured were admitted to a hospital, they said adding the leopard again went inside the forest before he could be caught.

The wild animals had come down from the woods last month following heaviest snowfall in 20 years in the Kashmir valley.

After unprecedented snowfall, people living in upper reaches in the Kashmir valley are now facing a threat from wild animals who had come down from the woods in search of food.

The Wildlife Department has directed people living in villages adjacent to forests to remain cautious against the movement of wild animals who have now turned towards plains in the wake of heavy snowfall on upper reaches.

In a village at Anantnag in south Kashmir a leopard killed 16 sheep injuring another 15 in February.

Official sources said more than two dozen peoples were killed and about 40 wounded by wild animals in the Kashmir valley during the past one year.

However, in retaliation, people also killed four wild animals in the valley during the same period. A number of animals loving organisation protests against these killings. However, villagers rejected these protested and said wild animals killed and injured people, including women and small children.

Report of attacks on villagers by wild animals during the past fortnight have been received from different areas in north and south Kashmir.

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