From landourmarten@HOTMAIL.COM Sun May  2 15:49:33 2004
Date: Sat, 1 May 2004 02:07:07 -0400
From: landour marten 
To: nathistory-india@Princeton.EDU
Subject: J&K Leopards Caught in Crossfire (OneWorld)

Apr 30 (OneWorld) - Leopards caught in the crossfire between guerrillas and
security forces in India's Jammu & Kashmir have begun migrating to safer,
more populated areas, endangering both humans and themselves.  Leopards and
other animals in Kashmir's forests are victims of frequent shelling
exchanges across the Line of Control dividing India and Pakistan that passes
through jungles in some places.

Field observers estimate that around 1,000 leopards live in the forests,
which sprawl over 20,000 square kilometers.  Says Muhammad Shafi Bucha, a
senior official in the wildlife protection department, "The heavy deployment
of security forces and the presence of militants in the forests have
disturbed Kashmir's entire wildlife population, including leopards."  In a
bid to escape the guns, leopards wander into adjoining villages where they
often attack human beings or vice versa.

In the past year, at least three people, including a woman, were killed and
a dozen wounded by the jungle cats. Cattle and dogs are also increasingly
falling victim to the leopards, who are targeting domestic animals because
of a shortage of prey.   While confirming that Kashmir's leopard population
is on the rise, Bucha cautions that a shrinking prey base and the use of
arms in the animals' habitat is dangerous for them.

Last year, a wounded leopard, probably hit by shell shrapnel, was spotted in
the border town of Uri in north Kashmir.  Increased man-animal interactions
are inevitably leading to violence. For instance, a female leopard who had
littered three cubs at a cowshed in Gulab Bagh, on the outskirts of the
capital Srinagar, attacked the cowshed owner as soon as she saw him.

Another leopard gave birth to two cubs in similar circumstances in Handwara,
a town neighboring a dense forest in the frontier district of Kupwara.
North Kashmir's wildlife warden Mushtaq Ahmad Parsa says leopards are
plagued by the ingress of human beings into their forest territory. "When
these animals return to their territories, they find human beings inhabiting
them. Leopards usually leave human beings alone, but do not hesitate to
pounce on them when confronted."

Leopards who attack human beings in self defense are often branded man
eaters by the villagers, who then proceed to kill the animals. But, wildlife
experts say leopards only turn man eaters when they are old or infirm and
driven out of their habitats by younger animals. Since human beings don't
run as fast as some animals, they make easy prey for the wild cats.

The attacks are more frequent during the winters, when the mountains are
covered with thick layers of snow and the herbivores descend to relatively
lower forests, with the leopards in pursuit. They then resort to attacking
livestock in villages.

Wildlife guard at the Dachigam National Park Ali Muhammad Dar explains that
leopards relish dog and monkey meat.  But the big cats' love for dogs and
other domestic animals is bringing them into closer contact with human
beings. Parsa reveals, "We have reports that villagers attempt to poison the
predators but there is no proof."

The wildlife department lacks equipment to capture leopards that have
strayed from their habitats to human dwellings. Ironically, the department
owns a US $4,000 worth tranquilizer gun but it is ineffective for the want
of darts.  Official negligence poses another danger to the animals. Senior
wildlife officer Muhammad Ramzan Dar recalls that last month a leopard was
electrocuted when it stepped on a low lying 11,000 volt high-tension
electricity line in Beerwah forest of central Kashmir's Budgam district.
Another wild cat died in the border town of Uri last year in similar
circumstances.

There is some heartening news, though. Stringent anti-poaching laws have
decreased the number of leopards being shot at and killed. And the heavy
presence of security forces and militants in the forests is a deterrent to
poachers.  Kashmir's leopard is known for its soft, shiny but tough fur.
"The fur is different from that of other leopards because of the extreme
cold conditions in Kashmir," informs Bucha.  The demand for it was so great
that around 500,000 people in the state were involved in the fur trade in
the 1970s. But anti-poaching legislations dealt a deathblow to the trade.

SOURCE:  OneWorld.

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