Maria Latif
SRINAGAR: A ten-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in the north Kashmir district of Kupwara, official sources said here today.
They said a leopard infiltrated into village Karihama, Handwara, in Kupwara from nearby forest and attacked Basit Bashir, when he was playing with other children in the area.
The villagers immediately rushed Basit to hospital where he was declared brought dead by doctors. The big cat later escaped back into forest, they said.
Later villager protested against the wildlife department and demanded measures to prevent wild animals from entering the village.
Leopard and Himalayan black bear populations have increased after a ban on hunting was enforced in Kashmir in 1970’s. Due to shrinking of their natural habitat, these animals are now wandering into villages and have killed nearly 200 people and maimed thousands since 2005.
Man-animal conflict has shown a drastic increase in the region after authorities erected a fence along Kashmir’s border with Pakistan designed to stop militant incursions.
