Sopore : Amid a spate of attacks by wild animals in Uri area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla, J&K Wildlife Protection Department has issued an advisory, urging people to move in groups and avoid short-cuts through forests.
An advisory by Wildlife Warden North Division Sopore, a copy of which lies with GNS, has asked people not to move alone in forest areas.
“Children and women are more vulnerable to leopard and bear attacks, which can be contained if they move in groups or children are accompanied by an elderly person and always move on regular forest paths and avoid shortcuts”, it reads.
“Avoid going to forests for collection of wood etc. in early morning or evening hours, which is the peak activity time for Leopards. Do not chase or try to go near to a wild animal if sighted from a distance in the forest areas”, the advisory reads adding livestock taken to pastures inside forests and near crop fields must be attended by three to four persons and any type of bell or sound producing device be put around the neck of few cattle.
“People living in the vicinity of forests should also complete their outside activities such as social visits, fetching water from streams, grazing cattle, collection of household items etc. during day time only. Provide sufficient light around your utilities outside your home so that animals do not feel safe in the vicinity. Do not create kitchen dumping around your houses as this invites stray dogs to the spot which in turn invite leopard movement. As dogs are delicacies for these carnivores,” it reads.
“Villagers must regularly remove all bushes or shrubs from the vicinity of houses in a cooperative manner. Such vegetation clearance walls increase visibility and help to keep the Leopard away from their houses. It has been observed that whenever a leopard is sighted, people make a lot of noise which can prove dangerous and as such the wild animal feels insecure and can cause damage.
“It is advisable not to make noise, while leopard is sighted”, it further reads.
Meanwhile Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Syed Sehrish Asgar taking to twitter wrote, “Kashmir at present has large number of leopards present in the upper reaches. Wildlife teams are on job to kill the man-eater leopard.”
“People are advised not to keep children in upper reaches (bahaks) unattended”, the tweet concludes. (GNS)
