Leopard choked, paraded like trophy as Jammu and Kashmir villagers cheer
However, villagers claim that the animal was a threat to them and precisely that's why they killed it. But the disheartning part was the wat villagers passed the dead leopard to each other as if they are playing with a toy.
Disturbing pictures of a leopard's carcass being carried away by villagers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district have gone viral.
Headlines Today Shuja-ul Haq reports that two leopards entered the village this morning and were being chased. The villagers threatened them and killed one of them by suffocating it. The other one is still hiding in the village in an unknown location.
After this, they were seen displaying the carcass and passing it to one another like a trophy. The most shocking thing is that while doing this dirty act they were seen laughing, cheering each other.
Reports suggest, while this drama was on, no wildlife official came to rescue the poor animal.
However, villagers claim that the animal was a threat to them and precisely that's why they killed it. But the disheartning part is the video where the villagers can be seen passing the dead leopard to each other as if they are playing with a toy.
The leopard was first choked and then paraded. The fear is that another leopard which is hiding in the village can be a threat to the villagers.
Speaking to Headlines Today, wildlife activist Sonia Ghosh said, "The act reveals the poor mindset of villagers. As the habitat has shrunk, the wild cat has no choice but to enter the village."
"Wildlife people should have made some arrangements. Several years ago a bear was set on fire and people were seen celebrating. I don't see any positive sign of wildlife conservation. And like always, forest department officials fail to reach the venue, Ghosh said.
Another animal rights activist, Belinda Wright said, "Encroachment in habitat is the issue, that's why these wild cats are forced to venture out."