Leopard ‘sighted’ in Ghanaur area of Patiala district, search on

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 21

The Wildlife Department is on the toes with a suspected sighting of a leopard in the Ghanaur belt of Patiala. The department is trying to ascertain if the leopard entered from the Haryana side, walking alongside the canal or river route, or if it has come from Himachal Pradesh.

A majority of such cases have been reported in the forest ranges near the Shivalik foothills in the districts of Roopnagar, Hoshiarpur and Pathankot. “We have alerted the villagers and trying to catch the animal to release it in its natural habitat. Leopards rarely attack humans and for us it is an opportunity to study its route and the nearby forest cover,” said a wildlife official.

In the past five years, over 50 cases of leopard sighting have been reported in Punjab, while 23 leopards have been rescued by the Wildlife Department. However, there has been no reported case of the wild cat attacking humans.

Though the number of wild cats is not that high in the state, the department is excited to study the corridors of its entry and exit. Sometimes they stray into the heavily populated belts of Ludhiana, Patiala and even Sangrur.

“There is no case of man-animal conflict but it has preyed and attacked 28 domestic and some stray animals. While we have already given compensation in 27 of these cases, the leopard sighting raises excitement. Our focus is to ensure safe return of the leopards into their habitat,” says Punjab Chief Wildlife Warden Dharminder Sharma.

Meanwhile, a first-of-its-kind leopard survey is on the cards in Punjab to ascertain their population in the state, which will help ascertain if the spotted animal is a regular visitor to the bordering belt of Himachal or just strays.

Leopards keep on walking and it is important to map their routes into Punjab. With more animal movement, it is important to check illegal hunting. “The data collected through the census will help us initiate steps to preserve wildlife and also ensure minimum human movement in their areas,” added Sharma.

“Due to the diminishing forest cover in Himachal, leopards are straying into the Punjab region. Moreover, due to harsh winters in hills, leopards usually move towards the plains. However, the recent pattern shows that even during summers, these leopards are entering Punjab,” says wildlife officers.