It is learnt that panic was rife at Kavlem in Ponda taluka after a family claimed that their two pet dogs were killed and devoured by a leopard which then rested in the balcony of the house. This incident took place in a residential area and has spread fear among the villagers. It must be said that the sighting of leopards in villages has become a matter of common occurrence in recent times. The hills surrounding the villages have a lot of greenery and is a perennial source of water which supports herbivorous wild animals which serve as a prey for the carnivorous animals. However hill-cutting and construction activities have displaced these herbivorous wild animals hence the carnivorous animals venture into inhabited areas in search of food in the form of domesticated animals. The officials of the forest department need to take appropriate action on a war footing by way of monitoring the movement of the big cats before any untoward incident takes place. A great way of monitoring the movement of wild animals is by using remote-activated camera traps. These animals which venture into the villages need to be trapped and released in the wild again.
