Extreme biotic pressure has taken the man-animal conflict to alarming levels in the forested area stretching across Raisen, Hoshangabad and Sehore districts adjoining the state capital.
Over the last several months there have been a number of tiger sightings not only on the periphery of Bhopal but on a particular occasion recently a tiger was even sighted climbing the boundary wall of the National Judicial Academy at the southern tip of the state capital.
Last Tuesday, at about 5.30 pm superintendent of Singhori Sanctuary in Raisen district, C.S. Dube, was attacked and gravely injured by a leopard near a village in the Baktara area through which passes the Badi-Shahpura road. His left forearm was almost torn apart by leopard that pounced on him from close range. Just before this, the wild animal had attacked two villagers and a forest guard. The forest department team, led by Mr Dubey, had reached the spot after receiving information that thousands of villagers had menacingly surrounded a leopard that was hiding in a field.
When this correspondent met Mr Dube in a private ward of a city hospital here on Thursday, both his arms were heavily bandaged. There were bruises and deep cuts near his swollen left eye — wounds that more than amply narrated his brush with what could have been certain death. One of the foresters attending him remarked: “We the forest department personnel receive all the blame for the rapidly depleting forest wealth and wildlife. But look at Mr Dube, who did not bother about his own life just to save the life of leopard who might have been killed by the villagers if they had not reached the spot in time.”