Residents of the Kalabari tea estate, in the Banarhat block of Jalpaiguri, are spending their days in fear because a leopard that had strayed into the garden and had dragged off and killed a three-year-old boy in the garden on Friday has not yet
been trapped.
“The women and children are staying indoors while we, the men, are moving in groups, even during daytime. In the evening hours, everyone is staying inside and not moving out unless there is an emergency,” said Ram Oraon, a worker.
“This is because the leopard has not yet been trapped. We are apprehensive that it can make a similar attack again,” he added.
On Friday, Ayush Kalindi was walking to a neighbour’s place, where his sister was, when the leopard pounced on him from the tea bushes and dragged him away. Later, his body was recovered from the plantations.
Foresters have installed four trap cameras and three cages in different locations of the tea estate. “The cameras were put to monitor the animal’s movement. It has, however, not yet walked into any of the cages even though 72 hours have passed after the incident,” said another resident of the garden.
While in the plantations, workers are bursting sound crackers at frequent intervals to keep the leopard away. “We are on alert and keeping a watch in the surroundings while plucking the tea leaves,” said Naveen Chhetri, a worker.
Chhetri mentioned that the leopard had taken away a piglet from the cattle shed of a worker on Sunday.
“The animal has been sighted at the plantations and even in the lanes. But it is not going near the cages,” said Sudhan Kheria, another worker.
In Kalabari, three leopards were trapped a couple of weeks ago.
“We are patrolling the garden. We hope it will be trapped soon,” said Ashesh Pal, the range officer of Diana forest range in Jalpaiguri.
Members of the wildlife squad stationed in Binnaguri are also patrolling in the garden, a source said.