5-year-old Saira Tharu of Gularia Municipality-5 was attacked and killed by a leopard last Wednesday morning. Even after three days of the girl's death, the family has not identified the body. The dead girl's body has been kept at Bardia Hospital.
Last Wednesday morning, when she went to the toilet near her house, the was that a leopard attacked and killed the girl. The victim's family has taken a stand that the body will not be cremated and the body will not be cremated until the concerned body takes control of the problem leopard. Sobindra Bahadur Chaudhary, a ward member of Gularia Municipality-5, said that the victim's family has taken a stand that the body will not be removed until the concerned body takes control of the problematic leopard. "We, the people's representatives, are also standing with the victim's family," he said, "If the relevant bodies had shown interest first, there would not have been another incident."
Two elephants working to control the leopard. Photo: Ram Prasad Chauhan/Kantipur
The angry locals surrounded the administration on Wednesday afternoon saying that leopards were continuously attacking and the concerned authorities were not interested.
Leopards have been continuously attacking animals and humans in that area for about three months.
9-year-old Melina Khadka died after being attacked by a leopard in Gulria municipality-8 dumping side Sarju community forest on last May 15th.
Similarly, 65-year-old Bikkulal Tharu of Gulria Municipality-4 and 7-year-old Sirjan Tharu of Gularia Municipality-5 Balapur were attacked and injured by a leopard last March. A technical team of 12 people along with two elephants named Shyamkali of Bardia National Park and Shantikali of National Nature Conservation Fund have been deployed in Balapur Tharu Community Forest of Gularia Municipality-5 to control leopards from Thursday. The team's attempt to take control of the leopard on Thursday was unsuccessful. The team has been mobilized since Friday morning. 3 cages, 3 cameras have been placed in that area, Ramkumar Chaudhary, Information Officer of the Division Forest Office, said . "We are monitoring leopards even by flying drones," he said, "Our efforts are continuing to control the problematic leopards."
