Leopard attacks due to ‘imbalance’, says Karnataka minister

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Thursday told the Karnataka Assembly that leopard attacks on humans have increased because of an “imbalance” in the ecosystem.

He was responding during Zero Hour to lawmakers’ complaints on rising instances of leopards venturing into human settlements.

“I come from the Malnad region and animal attacks have affected us. Leopards aren’t getting their food in the forests. There’s been an imbalance. Leopards have increased, but not their food,” Jnanendra, who represents the Tirthahalli constituency, said. “Once leopards taste human flesh, things will get very difficult,” he cautioned.

It was T Narsipur JD(S) MLA Ashvin Kumar M who raised the issue. “There’s an atmosphere of fear among farmers and students in my taluk due to leopard attacks,” he said. “My constituency is spread across 58,000 hectares of which only 117 acres are reserve forests. Rest are all cultivated lands. There are 10-15 leopards in my taluk,” he said.

Watch | Karnataka Govt announces Rs 15 lakh compensation for victims of leopard attack

Dasarahalli JD(S) MLA R Manjunath claimed his constituency had “many” leopards. “What the forest department does is to use just 5-6 traps. We’ll need 20-25 traps,” he said.

With lawmakers vying to make their point on the issue, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri urged them to suggest solutions. Sandur Congress MLA E Tukaram said a dedicated sanctuary is needed for leopards, citing the example of the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary.

According to Varuna Congress MLA Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah, one way of tackling the leopard menace is to ensure the sugarcane crop is harvested on time. “We see that sugarcane isn’t harvested for 16-18 months. So, sugarcane fields have become a haven for leopards, making their capture difficult.”

‘All-party delegation’

Former speaker KR Ramesh Kumar left the Assembly in split when he made a banter on the leopard issue. “Let’s take an all-party delegation and tell the animals that we’re already doing their job,” he said. On a serious note, Kumar said carnivorous animals are simply looking for food. “It’s because we’ve altered the structure of nature.”