Where is the distinguishing mark while dealing with deadly wild animals?

By O.J.George

Should we subject ourselves to deadly risk while dealing with intruding wild animals? This issue is haunting a lot of people, especially those living in areas bordering forests.

Scheduled animals like leopard, king cobra should not be touched even if they attack you. Please lie down in front of them like dead, after informing the forest people.
By the time they arrive, either the animals would be off to their havens hauled up somewhere readying for another attack.

Some people of Thodupuzha are facing the music now for catching an intruding leopard. Somehow they caught the deadly animal. It was alive when the forest department men arrived. It died while being in their custody.

The cause of death is assault by the people while it was caught. It should have been left where it was, hiding in the bushes. The people should not have provoked it to come out.

Now those who caught the animal face grave charge of offence inviting a jail term of up to seven years.

Why should wlld animals come out in the open, to the town, leaving its forest comfort? They have no food, no amenity in the wild. Will the forest department people be charged with an offence if the wild animal gives up its abode in the forest? Someone should take responsibility for the safe keeping of the animals in the wild. They should not be allowed to poach into human territory.

One can deal with an attacking human being in self-defence, but not an animal. Someone should draw the demarcating line. There should be no deliberate attempt to kill an endangered animal, but there should be a proviso regarding self-defence.