www.bbc.co.uk Recently, an Indian woman armed only with farm tools battled with an attacking leopard. It happened when she went to fetch water in northern Uttarakhand state. The leopard pounced on her from nearby bushes. She fought back with a sickle and spade, never losing hope or spirit until she realized the animal was dead. A real heroine faced with immanent death.
I don't think I'd have the courage or stamina to fight back.
Now stable in hospital, the 56 year-old woman sustained multiple bites and fractures during the half-hour battle. Doctors were surprised she survived.
I don't think I'd have the courage or stamina to fight back.
Now stable in hospital, the 56 year-old woman sustained multiple bites and fractures during the half-hour battle. Doctors were surprised she survived.
www.dailymain.co.uk In the past week, leopards have killed another woman in Uttarakhand, and injured a second in the Rudraprayag area. Lately, as the villages encroach on the big cats' habitat, the locals see more leopards around their settlements.
These magnificent creatures are under threat from humans in many ways. The northern state of Uttarakhand is the biggest source for leopard parts, while Delhi is the hub of illegal trade.
This is despite the fact that leopards are a protected species in India and all international commercial trade in their body parts is banned.
Wildlife experts say there are no reliable population figures of these big cats in India, but according to rough estimates, there are about 10,000 leopards in the country.
Hunter-turned-conservationist Jim Corbett wrote about his exploits in Rudraprayag in the 1920s, when he tracked down an elderly male leopard which terrorised locals for years and was reputed to have killed more than 125 people.
These magnificent creatures are under threat from humans in many ways. The northern state of Uttarakhand is the biggest source for leopard parts, while Delhi is the hub of illegal trade.
This is despite the fact that leopards are a protected species in India and all international commercial trade in their body parts is banned.
Wildlife experts say there are no reliable population figures of these big cats in India, but according to rough estimates, there are about 10,000 leopards in the country.
Hunter-turned-conservationist Jim Corbett wrote about his exploits in Rudraprayag in the 1920s, when he tracked down an elderly male leopard which terrorised locals for years and was reputed to have killed more than 125 people.
thebigcatblog.tumblr.com Wildlife experts say most big cat attacks on people are chance encounters gone wrong, and victims are rarely dragged away as prey. But a series of onslaughts on people in quick succession is a tell-tale sign of a man-eater at work.
As the wild environment is increasingly encroached upon by humans, we leave the animals with no choice but to defend their territory. My sympathy is split between the people who need somewhere to live and the large felines whose habitat is threatened.
As the wild environment is increasingly encroached upon by humans, we leave the animals with no choice but to defend their territory. My sympathy is split between the people who need somewhere to live and the large felines whose habitat is threatened.
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