Indian Leopards: In the Killing Fields

Indian Leopards: In the Killing Fields

2004, Nature  -   22 Comments
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Ratings: 8.79/10 from 42 users.

This story is one of many in India today. When darkness falls the stage is set for the maneater. The village is alerted as the child is abducted. The search is on but the girl was nowhere to be found. A man-eating leopard has killed the girl.

To understand the ways of the leopard we must first understand the ways of life of the vast majority of people living in the rural areas of India. Their stories are dramatic and their experiences horrific.

Alerted by recent reports of leopard attacks on cattle and people, not very far from the bustling metropolis of Mumbai, authorities decided to go on a nightly vigil to ascertain leopard sightings and to instill a sense of security amongst the terror-stricken villagers.

The villagers are seen carrying weapons to protect themselves from the leopards. Sixteen leopards have been caught in the last three months and the department decides to put cages in the fields to capture them. For the villagers the nightmare is real and will last for days to come. The girl's body was found... half eaten by the leopard.

For the girl's family the situation is unbearable. They're still trying to fathom what happened. The mother and the girl were sleeping outside and the leopard just snatched the child from the mother's lap. The mother even tried to run after it shouting "come back" but the animal jumped away and disappeared into the dark. No explanations will ease their pain and no arguments will make them understand and accept.

Much smaller than its cousins, the lions of Africa and the tigers of Asia, the leopard relies on its power and stealth. This is a predator that can strike fear into any victim, including mankind. The leopard is on the endangered species list, granted international protection, but is it acceptable kids to be snatched from their playgrounds and villagers to be killed at night? With new fatalities weekly, the question lingers... leopards or people.

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David Dieni
David Dieni
2 years ago

Like 100% of the problems we face today, this problem is 100% resolvable, but nothing is ever resolved as it requires western populations that are infantile. lazy and believe every insane lie they are told to do a bit of homework and learn the truth about the origins and causes of over population and never ending wars. The are ignorant, as this something assiduously avoided, as they now at some point it means taking a principled stand holding their despotic leaders to account for the mass murder and widespread misery they are responsible for....and that is the last thing they want to do.

The worst perpetrators when it comes to over population for example, are not the maligned Indians nor the Chinese but their biggest critics in the USA. Americans per capita use 70x the energy that the poor that live on $2 a day on the sub continent use (and double that of other first world nations). They don't have running water, gas and electricity pumped into their slums, they don't have a Times Square burning millions of kilowatts to light up advertising boards, nor do have today's equivalent of Sodom and Gamora in the middle of the desert in Las Vegas burning up more power than entire impoverished communities will use in 1000 life times.

Those who vote Democrat or Republican are enablers complicit in the genocide of millions of people, but who cartes about, black, yellow or brown people, there are too many of them anyway and half of them are terrorists

Capitalism, Christianity and Whiteman, when combined leave a trail of death and destruction in their wake, and will be the cause of the 6th extinction event

Mark A LaJoie
Mark A LaJoie
3 years ago

Increasing population encroaches on the territory of predators. When their normal prey is driven away, the predator will adapt.

human
human
4 years ago

They're too many intersting videos in this site, the problem is that we d'ont need to haave narrow minds, and we post only what we like and reject others subject that we dislike, others things is that some youtubers are very excellent with efforts thaat makes, but frankly I understand the psychology of religious terrorists, and the Arabs of middle east, I d'ont feed them at all, after what I've witnessed, and did meet some of them, in this world they're a lot things bad and good, and thats whats make our world nice place to live in, others things, they're few countries are doing very wrong in term of privacy, they invading it, abuse it with their power, cctv camera, spying inside the close door, suspecting innocents people, labeling them with things that they're not, is just like genocide and crime against humanity, the Islamists that have ruined a lot countries, and they're still looking to do so in countries like Algeria, I hope they'll achieve nothing. I've never seen how very bad dirty mouths these nefarious individuals are, but just like I've said to many others, the countries who feeding them and they know themselves very well, should take their responsibality about the mess, they've created around the world. I hope this dirty job will stop as soon as possible if not later, and these draconians will never get power. not only hat I've witnessed with ears but also after long researchs and digging that I've made trough all recent years. Thank you all Yours Sincerely Youtuber and ex Liveleaker.

DianneMyers
DianneMyers
6 years ago

They dont give a crap about girl babies. One less dowery. They will make another one. But a leopard that is rare.They need to move back 50 miles.I would bet they are not Buddist.

Will
Will
7 years ago

A tragedy for the family at the beginning. That being said, this will continue to occur as we, mankind, continue to encroach on wildlife territory. No easy answer to this dilemma. Mankind for the most part have no respect for any other animals, as we kill and / or eat everything. We will never achieve it , but a better way of living would be like the North American Indians, who only killed what they needed and used pretty much all of the animal" Modern day man due to attitudes and population numbers have no regard for anything, other then filling their faces, Oil, minerals, etc etc. We continue to degrade and damage the planet we live on. Think on this, not even a dog shits where he sleeps, but we do. Their will not be much left after 2 more generations, other then pollution and poisoned land / air and water

happyMephisto
happyMephisto
9 years ago

I agree,if your house cats were as big as you,they would eat you.Thats because with out your gun you are to cowardly and insipid to do anything about it.You torture and eat other animals too, and half of them go into a garbage can.Waste not ,want not.

happyMephisto
happyMephisto
9 years ago

@jaberwokky:disqus What God?And dose other specimens also include other people.

xxDarkSidexx
xxDarkSidexx
9 years ago

well I got to say it and i'm sorry but, Don't live near the dangerous animals? people bring this on themselves, I just dont understand why people choose to live like this, go closer to the main towns, cities, it's like why do people want to live below volcanos? or recently the mudslide in america that killed those people in oso, there was a major mudslide around that area 8 years ago yet people continue to live and build there, here in the UK people living by the sea side on the cliffs and slowly as the weather got bad it took part of the cliff down time after time finally taking there homes into the sea, THEN people moan and blame the governments and councils for not sorting it out or investing money in flood defense etc etc, I dont want to go to the beach and see big thick gray concrete walls around it just because you were stupid enough to buy a home next to the sea, seriously, it's your home! you chose it, you look after it! come on people you have the gift of what all other creatures dont have, thats intelligence, @ucking use it!

happyMephisto
happyMephisto
9 years ago

If human beings wouldn,t share the Earth with other Earthlings then they wouldn,t survive either.

User_001
User_001
9 years ago

Thank you for the doc. Lots of great images here. Seems like most realize that they have to live together with the cats. People are suffering quite an impact though.

elizabeth wesley
elizabeth wesley
9 years ago

Beautiful doc, a troubling problem. Solutions seem scarce.