Hamirpur (HP), Aug 17 (PTI) A leopard wandered into the courtyard of a house in the Chauntra area of Himachal’s Hamirpur district, causing panic among the residents and forcing them to take shelter indoors, officials said on Monday.
The animal was spotted roaming around the house and its courtyard at approximately 11 pm on Saturday.
According to Manoj Kumar, an eyewitness, the leopard prowled around the houses for quite some time. Residents exercised caution and prevented children and the elderly from going outside upon learning of the situation.
With the ongoing monsoon season and fields full of lush grass, leopards and other wild animals have begun entering the hamlets, creating alarm among the residents.
Such incidents have become increasingly common in various parts of Bhoranj, Sujanpur, Barsar, and Hamirpur areas within Himachal’s Hamirpur district. Leopards have also been sighted in and around the Dhaulasidh power project in Nadaun and Chaubutra in Hamirpur.
In a previous incident, a leopard and its two cubs were spotted in the area, prompting locals to approach the forest department for assistance to protect them from other wild animals.
As the monsoon prevails, maize crops are growing in the fields, and the area is overrun with bushes and tall grass, leading to increased fear among residents about venturing outside.
There are also rising concerns regarding the safety of livestock. Although wild animal sightings have been reported in the past, the leopard’s presence in the courtyard has significantly heightened anxiety among the community. PTI COR BPL MPL MPL
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