Elephants prepare to cross a road as cars drive by in Kasane, in the Chobe district, Northern Botswana, on May 28, 2019. - Last month, the government lifted a blanket hunting ban, imposed in 2014 by then-president Ian Khama, on the grounds that elephant numbers were growing. The decision angered many conservationists and stirred up a political hornet's nest as elections loom later this year. Botswana fended off criticism of its decision to end the five-year ban, saying the move would not threaten the elephant population. (Photo by MONIRUL BHUIYAN / AFP)
3 elephants in Uttar Pradesh have been trained to catch a killer leopard, which has claimed the lives of 5 people.
The 3 elephants are going to search and catch the leopard in Bijnor district, Uttar Pradesh.
According to forest officials, the elephants are capable of carrying out search operations and comb sugarcane fields.
During the search, forest officials are going to be sitting on top of them and will carry around guns loaded with tranquilizer darts.
Semmaran, a forest official, released a statement about the new plan.
Officer Semmaran said, “We are in touch with an NGO, Ahrawat, to hire trained jumbos. Three elephants are to be hired to comb the dense sugarcane fields. We will tranquilize the killer leopard by sitting on the elephants where our staff will be safe.”
The forest officials are also trying to prepare to shift leopard cubs to the zoo.
7 cubs have been rescued and sent them to the zoo in the past 1 year.
It is reported that the cub authorities are trying to capture has successfully killed 5 people since November 25, 2019.
The leopard has been prowling near the Mohandiaya village for the past 8 days.
Forest authorities in the area have set up trapped at the Mohandiaya village.
Officials have also placed cages with bait inside it with hopes of trapping the leopard.
Schools and other public gatherings have been asked to be shifted in other areas.
Nrapendra Deshwal said, “We met District Magistrate Ramakant Pandey and demanded that security arrangements be made for children studying in the schools located in remote areas.”
He added, “Such schools can be shifted to safer places temporarily, till the killer leopard and other rogue big cats are caught.”
There are around 800 primary and higher primary schools in the district.
Most of those schools are located on the outskirts of the villages, located near the farmlands. The schools do not have boundary walls, making them very vulnerable to attacks.