Big cats on the prowl in Himachal village

Big cats on the prowl in this Himachal Pradesh district have attacked their fifth victim. A leopard pounced on Pawan Kumar, 30, a resident of Gasota village, when he was in the fields. Kumar, who put up a brave fight for 15 minutes, sustained injuries on his right arm and the back.

Kumar, who is undergoing treatment at Hamirpur hospital, told reporters: "The leopard pounced on me from behind. I shouted for help and the villagers chased him away."

Man-eaters have unleashed terror in the upper and lower Bamsan areas of the district. They mauled a little girl in Gagehri village of this district.

According to a census by the department of forests, there are 30 leopards in the district. The number is likely to go up this year.

Increased activities of leopards have also been reported from the Dhaneta area of the district. A number of animals have also become targets of the wild cat.

Though the forest department has put up cages at three places and deputed hunters to kill man-eaters, the animals have managed to dodge them.

Chunnilal Sharma, a village leader, has demanded aid for the injured Kumar and demanded that the leopard be killed.

Sudhir Shiwal, assistant conservator of forests, Hamirpur, told IANS: "Steps are being taken to catch the leopard."

He also advised villagers not to venture out of their homes after sunset. He announced a relief of Rs.1,500 to Kumar.

Villagers want weapons to be given to them so that they can defend themselves in crisis.

IANS