Forest officials call for hunter to reign in man eater leopard in Jharkhand

 The man-eater leopard which killed four children since December 10 in Palamu division in Jharkhand is still traceless.
Interestingly, the Jharkhand forest department has put over 50 trap cameras, one drone and officials to catch the leopard.
Now, the department has roped in Hyderabad-based celebrated hunter Nawab Shafath Ali Khan to control the big cat. 
It is suspected that all four including three in Garhwa and one in Latehar district were killed by the same leopard. The victims are in the age group of six and 12 years.

Reportedly, the leopard has been reigning terror in more than 50 villages in three blocks — Ramkanda, Ranka and Bhandariya — of the district where villagers have been asked by the forest department not to venture out after sunset. "We are spending sleepless nights in fear of the leopard. Women and children are mostly scared.

The Garhwa forest division had submitted a proposal to state Chief Wildlife Warden on December 29 to declare the big cat as man-eater and it has also suggested names of three hunters including Nawab Shafath Ali Khan and former legislator Girinath Singh.
 State forest officials are of the view that first priority is to capture the leopard through tranquilization, which is possible only by experts and so Nawab Shafath Ali Khan has been roped in to help in the effort. 

Khan is expected to arrive in first week of January. Officials further said that if capturing was not possible than officials would resort to killing the animal.
More than 50 trap cameras have been put up in possible route of the big cat in and around Kushwaha village where a 12-year-old boy was killed by the animal on December 28.

 Officials confirmed that three cages have been ordered from Meerut, which is likely to arrive by Sunday evening.

 On December 10, the leopard reportedly made its first attack by killing a 12-year-old girl in Chipadohar area in the nearby Barwadih block of Latehar district. Then, six-year-old child was killed in Rodo village in Bhandariya block on December 14 in Garhwa district. Another six-year-old girl was killed by the leopard in Sevadih village in Ranka block on December 19 in the same district.