The leopard that was shot dead by police. (Biplab Basak)

Siliguri, April 11: Policemen today gunned down a leopard when it tried to attack their officer who had gone to a Jalpaiguri village to assist the forest department in capturing the animal that had mauled 11 people.

The leopard is an endangered species under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The act says that in case of shooting, tranquillising or translocating the animal, permission needs to be obtained from the chief wildlife warden of the state.

The foresters said the male leopard aged around seven years had sneaked into Shikaripara village in Dhupguri block from the nearby Khuttimari forest around 9.30am today.

“The leopard attacked one villager after another. Hearing the news, guards from the wildlife squads of Binnaguri and Malbazar reached the village to tranquillise and capture the animal,” Atanu Raha, the principal chief conservator of the state, said over the phone from Calcutta.

The officer said as the day rolled, the animal mauled a few more residents. “Our guards were taking appropriate steps to tranquillise the animal when it made a bid to attack the inspector-in-charge of Banarhat police station,” said Raha.

N.K. Majumdar, the inspector-in-charge who had reached the village to assist the foresters, reportedly had a close shave. As the carnivore poised to spring, which the police claimed was aimed at the officer, he fired one shot at its leg, followed by five more rounds by constables standing nearby.

Wildlife NGOs have blamed the forest department for the incident. “Man-animal conflict has become a regular feature in north Bengal districts, particularly in the fringe villages. Still, there has been no initiative on the part of the foresters to create awareness among people on the precautions to be taken if a leopard enters their locality,” said Animesh Bose, a member of the State Board for Wildlife.

“The competency of the foresters who went to capture the leopard is questionable as they failed to net the animal even though it mauled 11 people,” he added.

The 11 people with deep scratch marks on different parts of the body were admitted to Jalpaiguri District Hospital.