Wildlife intensifies cleaning process in Budgam nursery after leopard kills 4- year- old child

Naveed- Ul- Haq

Budgam, Jun 24 (KNO): Twenty-one days after the leopard mauled a 4-year-old girl to death, cleaning work is going on a war footing basis on the 160 kanal of nursery and more than half of the work has been completed by the forest department.

District forest officer told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that the work is going on a war footing basis on the 160 kanal of the nursery and more than half of the fallen trees were removed from the nursery while 60 per cent of thinning and branch cutting has also been completed.

"Work for thinning and branch cutting is also under process at the DC complex nursery where the leopard who mauled a 4-year-old girl to death was caught alive by the wildlife department," he said.

He said the forest department has sent a DPR to the government to release funds for fencing of the nursery, and work will be started soon after the allotment of funds.

"Nowadays animals do not need to live in the forest because local residents have planted so many trees and they don't even clean or cut their branches which become a shelter for these animals," an official said.

Meanwhile, an official from the wildlife department told KNO that the team of wildlife officials is still present on the spot and is searching in the area and other hotspots so that no untoward incident would be repeated.

He said that once the cleaning process of the nursery will be completed they can call the nursery safe and leave for their respective control rooms after the directions from higher authorities.

"People take advantage of the department and waste their precious time, which people shouldn't do," he said.

The official requested the general public to call the department only when they find any wild animal in their respective localities.

All the developments are taking place since June 3 when a four-year-old girl was mauled to death by a leopard.

At least 60 officials from the wildlife, forest protection force, and other concerned departments were camping in Budgam district especially in the nursery area to track down the movement of an animal, that was eventually caught alive on June 13—(KNO)