JORHAT: Two leopard cubs were beaten to death in the Kalugaon Khoragorh area of Sivasagar district on Saturday.
Forest officials said the cubs appeared at a human habitation at Khoragarh village creating panic among the locals.
”Our team rushed to the spot to rescue the cubs, but they were killed before we reach the spot,” said forest range officer (Sivasagar) Praneswar Das.
He added, ”On seeing the cubs, the villagers equipped with lathis and other weapons came out in large numbers and attacked the cubs. The cubs succumbed to their injuries after battling for their lives for about half-an-hour.”
He said a female leopard and her two cubs had taken shelter at Kalugaon and created panic among locals for the last one week. Villagers alleged that the mother of the cubs attacked some cattle in the area.
The villagers must be complete morons to think the world would accept the murder of these unique animals. The live mother and cubs are worth so much more than a dead cow. I realize these people are poor and rely on their cattle to survive, but I know there are 100′s of 1000′s of people around the world who would be more than glad to pay for their loss as opposed to the brutal, cruel and barbaric slaying of these poor cubs who had done nothing to provoke the totally unnecessary and disturbing attack. India’s wildlife are the ONLY reason I would travel to the region. India’s people better wake up and realize that the world will NOT tolerate this blatant disregard for a species on the verge of disappearing forever. I grieve for the poor cubs and the mother’s horrible loss, and I have lost all respect for India for not doing more to prevent this tragedy.