KNB News Desk
Srinagar 08 June (KNB): Several villages of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district feel threatened by wild animals, which have taken shelter in a dense nursery of the area, said locals.
The locals of the villages — Dangerpora, Laridora, Reshmuqam, Taripora, Wathuran, Nowgam and others, said that there are apprehensions of attacks to happen in the future because of the roaming of a bear and other animals in the area.
“Just recently, a person died after a bear beheaded him, and some days ago, one of the local’s oxe was eaten. The people here are under serious threat due to free-roaming of wild animals,” said one of the locals, adding the wildlife is nowhere to be seen and are taking the matter with barely any seriousness.
Regarding the matter, Sarpanch Dangarpora Ghulam Nabi Bhat confirmed that a man was killed by a bear around Eid, and some half a dozen sheep were also eaten.later on. “The presence of the bear and other animals has become a nuisance for the locals, and the breeding ground for them is the nursery (compartment 16) which has been abandoned for from around the last 9 to 10 years,” Bhat said.
He further said that the nursery has three schools around it which is a matter of concern. “The students of these schools could also become the victim of the attack, and therefore, the concerned authorities have to pay attention to this matter,” Bhat added.
Another Sarpanch Irshad Ahmad Khan of Laridora Halqa, also confirmed the gravity of the matter and said that the threat is looming large. “We had informed the wildlife about the roaming of the bear in the area, but nothing has been done till now. So authorities need to do something to avert any incident,” said Khan, ”the nursery is also impeding the locals from taking their cattle and sheep for grazing.
While talking to DFO Division Baramulla Parvaiz Ahmad Wani regarding the dense condition of the nursery, sheltering wild animals in it, he said since two years of his placement there; he had not received any representation from the residents related to the problem. “If there is any problem, I am ready to meet with the residents to talk about the issue,” Wani said.
On contacting Range Officer Baramulla Altaf Ahmad, he said that an advisory has already been issued and a cage is also kept there to capture the bear. “I am also personally going tomorrow to the area to assess the situation,” Ahmad said. (KNB)