AHMEDABAD: In Gujarat, the last abode of Asiatic lions, terror of leopard is greater than the sher! Forest department data of man-animal conflict reveals that leopard was the biggest killer having taken out 109 lives in past eight years from 2012-12 to 2019-20.
This is a lion’s share of 62% of the total 176 persons killed by Schedule I and II animals in the state in this period. A total of 1,297 people were injured in animal attacks.
Crocodiles, whose burgeoning numbers in central and south Gujarat have become a cause of major concern, claimed second highest, 45 lives. Even as the scare value of `sher aa jayega’ is more, it killed 13 persons in the state over a period of eight years.
The forest department has compiled data of man-animal conflict involving other animals too namely slothbears, hyenas, wolves, jackals and monkeys. The tree hopping simians too have claimed one life, the data reveals. Wildlife expert and member of the National Board for Wildlife (NBW), HS Singh, said population of Big Cats including lions and leopards have doubled along with more humans moving closer to the protected areas. “This has led to sharp rise in man-animal conflicts,” Singh said.
Leopard census 2017 pegged its population at 1,395 while unofficial figures suggest the number has grown to nearly 3,000. Similarly, lion census 2015 suggested 523 lions but sources estimate it to have crossed the 1,000 mark now.
Gujarat has been reeling under growing incidents of leopards and crocodiles attacks. In two months till January 7, five people were killed by leopards in the state. Three persons were killed in Amreli while two people were fatally attacked by leopards in Valsad and Bharuch in January.
Many fatal attacks on human beings have been reported in outskirts of Vadodara which has nearly 260 crocodiles in river Vishwamitri. In 2015, six people were killed near the city. In Bhruch, NRI Hitesh Barot, part of Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha poll social media team, was killed in his native Bhalod village on May 20, 2014.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/gujarat-109-persons-killed-in-leopard-attacks-in-last-8-years/articleshow/73175364.cms
Crocodiles, whose burgeoning numbers in central and south Gujarat have become a cause of major concern, claimed second highest, 45 lives. Even as the scare value of `sher aa jayega’ is more, it killed 13 persons in the state over a period of eight years.
The forest department has compiled data of man-animal conflict involving other animals too namely slothbears, hyenas, wolves, jackals and monkeys. The tree hopping simians too have claimed one life, the data reveals. Wildlife expert and member of the National Board for Wildlife (NBW), HS Singh, said population of Big Cats including lions and leopards have doubled along with more humans moving closer to the protected areas. “This has led to sharp rise in man-animal conflicts,” Singh said.
Leopard census 2017 pegged its population at 1,395 while unofficial figures suggest the number has grown to nearly 3,000. Similarly, lion census 2015 suggested 523 lions but sources estimate it to have crossed the 1,000 mark now.
Gujarat has been reeling under growing incidents of leopards and crocodiles attacks. In two months till January 7, five people were killed by leopards in the state. Three persons were killed in Amreli while two people were fatally attacked by leopards in Valsad and Bharuch in January.
Many fatal attacks on human beings have been reported in outskirts of Vadodara which has nearly 260 crocodiles in river Vishwamitri. In 2015, six people were killed near the city. In Bhruch, NRI Hitesh Barot, part of Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha poll social media team, was killed in his native Bhalod village on May 20, 2014.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/gujarat-109-persons-killed-in-leopard-attacks-in-last-8-years/articleshow/73175364.cms
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