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Srinagar Feb 29: Jammu and Kashmir Police have captured a leopard, which had come down from the forest in north Kashmir following heaviest snowfall in 20 years in the state.

Official sources said a police party was rushed to the village sheer Kote under police station Vilgam after receiving a message that a leopard was seen in the area.

They said the leopard was caught and later handed over to wildlife authorities.

In a village at Anantnag in south Kashmir, a leopard killed 16 sheep and injured another 15 last week, they said.

A musk deer was captured by Jammu and Kashmir police in the outskirts of the city early last week and handed over to wildlife authorities at Dachigam.

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

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

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

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

UNI