Dahod: The forest department and locals have sought a ‘shoot-at-site’ order from the state government to gun-down a seemingly man-eater leopard which today killed another woman in the Baria forest division of Dahod district of central Gujarat.

In a repeat like incident of 2002-03, this ‘man-eater’ leopard has so far killed 3 including two girls and injured another woman in less than a week in Baria forest division of Dahod district of central Gujarat where another such beast was gunned down almost 15 years ago when it had killed 8 people in and around the same area.

DFO of Baria division Janak L Zala today said that the beast today attacked and killed Mathuriben Ganava (64), in Bharpur forests when she had gone to pick fire-woods with 3 other women who somehow escaped. Earlier on November 22 this leopard had killed 11 year old Jyotasana S Parmar in Punakot forest close to her native Khalata where she had gone to graze her goats and cattle. The same leopard had attacked and killed another girl Asmita G Vasaya (10), a resident of Dumka in nearby Kotambi forest on November 21 morning where she had gone with a group of women to pick fire-wood. The leopard had also attacked and injured a woman in Kotambi that day. All these areas are in the vicinity of 3 to 4 kms.

Zala said that with the consent of local people, Sarpanchs and local MLA and Minister of Statei Bachubhai Khabad, permission has been sought for gunning down the beast.

‘Simultaneously we have also intensified our efforts to cage the beast at the earliest. We are now keeping a cage with the blood soaked sari of the deceased wrapped around a dummy in nearby. The beast in all likelihood would come there by today evening. We have also installed trap cameras to track his movement. If we get the permission to shoot him it would be the last measure,’ he said.

He said that all the places fall under Dhanpur taluka and were in close vicinity of Ratanmahal forests where as per the last 2016 wildlife census, around 48 leopards live.

Zala said that in 2002-03, another leopard had attacked people in similar area and had killed 8 of them after which with the permission of authorities it was gunned down.

DeshGujarat