Forest officers have stepped up efforts to catch a leopard that has successfully eluded them for over three weeks in Belagavi now.
The Forest Department has decided to follow some of the standard operating procedures prescribed by the national tiger conservation authority. The steps include preventing crowding in the golf course and to withdraw additional personnel from the site.
This was decided after two meetings in which officers, including Chief Conservator of Forests Manjunath Chauhan, Deputy Conservator of Forests Anthony M. and Assistant Conservator of Forests M. Kusnal, participated.
This decision was taken as pressure increased on the department after criticism from some quarters that the government was not following standard operating procedures.
Meanwhile, environmentalist Sameer Majli took objection to the methods adopted by the Forest Department to catch the leopard. He also appealed to people not to ridicule the department’s efforts.
“Crowding in the golf course will only complicate things. It will further antagonise the animal, especially, if there are cubs, and then, things will get worse. I am not sure why hunting dogs have been brought to the site. It is fine if they are just tracking dogs. But if they are hunting dogs, they will further complicate the scenario. The best thing to do is to seek advice from people who have worked with leopards before and that too in urban areas,’’ he said.
Co-founder of Pyaas foundation Madhav Prabhu said that the whole operation should be dropped.
“Police officers should focus on other things such as crime and law and order that plague the city, rather than waste money and time on catching the wild cat. It will go into the forests ultimately,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, some people took out a protest march demanding that the leopard should not be killed during the operation. Also, college students held placards outside the golf course seeking mercy for the leopard.
They said that the big cat had the fundamental right of right to life and that it should be spared as it had not harmed anyone. They also demanded that the focus of the operation should be to catch the leopard or to drive it into the forests and not kill it.
Nikhita G. Rao, one of the protestors, said that they had submitted a memorandum to the government as they were concerned about the life of the wild animal. “There is a lot of pressure on the Forest Department. That may force them to shoot it dead. That should not happen,’’ she said.
Member of the Belagavi City Corporation Council Shankar Patil also joined the protestors.
Rajya Sabha member Eeranna Kadadi met the officers supervising the operation and sought some details.
He later told journalists that there is no truth in the allegations that Forest Minister Umesh Katti is not serious about the operation.
“He has given a free hand to the officers and released enough funds for the operation. He has held a meeting with officials and fixed responsibilities. Just because he has not visited the site, it does not mean that he is not serious. Congress leaders are not justified in demanding his resignation. Will they enter the golf course to catch the leopard, if the Minister resigns?’’ Mr. Kadadi said.
