Jaipur: Villagers put a leopard, ailing with multiple injuries and barely able to walk, on leash Monday and paraded the animal in Bundi district, taking selfies and adding to a string of such callous trophy-taking episodes involving wildlife in recent weeks.The leopard had reportedly wandered out of Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) in the early hours and entered farms in nearby Basoli Rampuria village. Initially, panic gripped the area. But as villagers noticed that the leopard was severely injured, they turned the situation into a spectacle, milling around the helpless animal and putting it on a leash, clicking selfies.The leopard posed no threat and made no attempt to flee or attack. Despite the obvious risks, villagers approached it, ignoring safety as well as the animal’s critical condition.A forest team from the Ramgarh sanctuary reached the spot after receiving word of the drama and rescued the leopard, shifting it later to Kota for treatment. “Preliminary investigations indicate that the leopard may have suffered a head injury, possibly due to an attack by a larger predator,” a forest official said.This is the third such incident of risky behaviour against wildlife in the state in the past month alone. In Sawai Madhopur, a villager was recently seen lifting leopard cubs and making a video. In another, a man entered a pipe where a tigress gave birth, filmed the cubs, and was seen patting them in the video.Experts expressed concern at such frenzied video making. “Humans and wild animals have coexisted for centuries, but the recent obsession with selfies and videos is putting both at risk. Strict legal action must be taken against such behaviour. These people need to be counselled and a case registered to set an example,” Vishwaraj Singh, a wildlife enthusiast, said.
Bundi villagers parade woundedleopard as trophy, take selfies | Jaipur News
