Udhampur, July 14: Fear has gripped residents of Ritti village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district after a female leopard and her two cubs were repeatedly spotted near residential areas over the past several days, prompting wildlife authorities to launch a rescue operation.
The frequent sightings have raised concerns among villagers, particularly parents of school-going children, as the wild animals continue to roam close to human habitation.
According to residents, the leopard has preyed on several stray dogs and livestock in the area, leaving people reluctant to step outdoors during the early morning and evening hours.
“The leopard has been moving close to houses for the last few days, creating panic among residents. We fear it could attack humans if it continues to stay near the village,” a local resident said.
Parents said they are worried about their children’s safety while travelling to and from school and urged the Wildlife Protection Department to capture and relocate the animals before any untoward incident occurs.
Former Sarpanch Girdhari Lal Pada said the female leopard and her two cubs have been roaming in and around Ritti Panchayat for several days.
“They have targeted domestic dogs and livestock, forcing people to remain indoors. We immediately informed the Wildlife Protection Department, which has deployed teams to monitor the situation,” he said.
Pada said wildlife officials equipped with tranquilizer guns are conducting regular patrols to safely tranquilize, capture and relocate the leopard and her cubs before they pose a greater threat to human life.
Officials of the Wildlife Protection Department, Udhampur, confirmed the presence of the leopard and her cubs and said surveillance teams have been deployed to track their movement.
They said all necessary efforts are underway to safely rescue the animals and urged residents to remain vigilant, avoid venturing alone into forest fringes, keep children under close supervision and immediately report any fresh sightings.
As part of precautionary measures, the department has installed cages at strategic locations and distributed firecrackers to villagers to help deter wild animals and enhance public safety.
