Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj
Days after the death of a pregnant elephant after allegedly consuming a fruit stuffed with firecrackers, left behind by locals in Kerala’s Palakkad, a leopard suffered a similar fate at the hands of locals in Assam.
The big cat that had strayed into the residential regions in the Kathabari Pahar area of Assam’s Guwahati, was trapped by some locals, beaten to death and then paraded as a trophy while others watched and clapped. The brutal act was filmed and the video went viral on social media.
Six people, including a minor, who were seen in the video killing and parading the leopard, have been arrested. The search is on to nab the others involved in the act.
The leopard had reportedly not eaten for days and strayed into the residential area in search of food. It was first trapped by some of the residents early in the morning, but it managed to escape. Some locals later followed the big cat into the forest, caught it and killed it. The dead animal was then paraded.
Some residents have said that the forest department was alerted about the trapped animal but by the time they reached the spot, the leopard had fled and later caught by the locals. Residents alleged that the animal could have been rescued if the forest department had acted in a timely manner.
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