Leopard attacks people in India

[Mikoh4792]

[jpsteele80]

That thing came through a roof, makes you wonder what they did to provoke that, there not normally known to attack people

[Starbuck]

There was nothing about that that was an attack- it was pure defensive behavior from an animal afraid for its life. There were probably people in the building driving it up through the roof. There was only terror and it feeling trapped. What is the worst is that it was probably cornered and killed after the film stopped rolling. The real question is how did it get into such a densely populated area, and why. They generally are following food, or being driven out of habitats by resident males.

This whole thing is a real shame, I feel terrible for that animal.

[Mikoh4792]

Starbuck, I agree. I'd change the title but the edit option is no longer available.

By the end of the video, it's clear the leopard is shaken up while peering over the tub it's hiding in.

[Jim Smith]

Actually, leopard attacks in India are not uncommon at all. Residents of the city of Mumbai experience over 100 attacks each year. This is mainly due to the fact that the city has a huge natural area within the city (think Central Park on steroids) where a number of leopards live. The leopards routinely hunt the city streets at night looking for rats, cats, dogs etc. to feed themselves and their cubs. Occasionally, they will attack a person, sometimes in defense, other times as predators. Additionally, there are a number of areas in India where the expansion of human habitation has encroached onto natural reserves, resulting in several leopard attacks and in some cases predation by the leopards on children or small adults. They are amazing animals, superb hunters and extremely adaptable, so they find ways to survive in very close proximity to large population centers. Here in Atlanta, we have coyotes that live and breed inside the city limits, also feeding on rats, cats, dogs and refuse from fast food dumpsters. While they certainly aren't leopards, they are very adaptable wildlife that find ways to support themselves in a city environment where very few people expect them to be.

[Starbuck]

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

Actually, leopard attacks in India are not uncommon at all. Residents of the city of Mumbai experience over 100 attacks each year. This is mainly due to the fact that the city has a huge natural area within the city (think Central Park on steroids) where a number of leopards live. The leopards routinely hunt the city streets at night looking for rats, cats, dogs etc. to feed themselves and their cubs. Occasionally, they will attack a person, sometimes in defense, other times as predators. Additionally, there are a number of areas in India where the expansion of human habitation has encroached onto natural reserves, resulting in several leopard attacks and in some cases predation by the leopards on children or small adults. They are amazing animals, superb hunters and extremely adaptable, so they find ways to survive in very close proximity to large population centers. Here in Atlanta, we have coyotes that live and breed inside the city limits, also feeding on rats, cats, dogs and refuse from fast food dumpsters. While they certainly aren't leopards, they are very adaptable wildlife that find ways to support themselves in a city environment where very few people expect them to be.

I didn't make any reference to the uncommonness of attacks- in THIS case, during the day, that animal has clearly been hounded and chased, is being beaten with sticks, and was NOT acting in a predatory manner. the sheer number of people observing in the video makes me think they had been chasing or trying to chase the leopard for a good period of time. Im not doubting at all that there border issues going on between leopards and humans, but in other areas where this is a problem (jaguars in south america, lions in africa) most of the animals are not chased, beaten, and recorded. They are euthanized quickly with a gun so that there is not a conflict of interest between the two.

I would also question whether these leopard/human interactions are actual attacks, and how many are the result of situations like in this video where the animal is chased by humans with sticks, instead of being dealt with appropriately (for human safety as well as being humane towards the animal).

Please dont confuse this post with condemnation toward the humans who have been or were injured by leopards, but in other places of the world with equal or fewer resources, there is still appropriate animal control to prevent situations like this from happening. Population control of stray dogs and cats could help to limit the availability of prey within city limits, and reduce the number of interloping leopards.

[Sublimeballs]

Yeah, that's not an attack. That's fighting for its life. Am I the only one that hoped he got someone good? Is that bad?

[Teal]

That poor cat is TERRIFIED ): Nothing about that situation was an attack. That was a very scared animal trying to defend its life and escape... How awful.

[Jim Smith]

Please understand that in no way was I condemning or judging either the people being attacked or the leopard chasing the man. I've seen videos of the people from the cities in India chasing leopards to scare them away from the area. Unfortunately, they often don't give the animal a way to escape so the cornered animal attacks in self defense. It's really no different than any cornered animal would do, including people. It's clearly the result of people and wildlife trying to live in the same area, often competing for the same resources. Conflicts are bound to happen as indicated by this video.

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by Sublimeballs

Yeah, that's not an attack. That's fighting for its life. Am I the only one that hoped he got someone good? Is that bad?

It's a bit sinister lol. I don't think those people are inherently bad, they are reacting out of fear, just like the leopard.

[MDT]

Dude.....Leopard coming through the roof to bite your @$$ = you shoulda stayed in bed.

[Zoo Nanny]

Here's the rest of the story. The cat was tranquilized and released.
Leopard Leaps Through Roof, Attacks Villagers In India (GRAPHIC VIDEO)
I'm not a big huffington post reader but some of the agencies involved I do trust. Leopards are some of the most aggressive cats in the world. The more we encroach in to the habitats of wild animals the more attacks we will see.

[red ink]

Payback is a bitch... we've been attacking them since the dawn of civilisation. Abput time they put one on the scoreboards.

[Zoo Nanny]

I don't know if I would consider the death of 6 children "Payback is a bitch"
It's a real problem in India right now with so many attacks. I don't know what the answer would be but I think it's going to continue. The sad thing is with more attacks it means that more leopards are going to be killed. Once people start to see that the animals are released the anger will swell and people will take it into their own hands.
It's a very sad situation for both cats and people.
I love large cats and have worked with leopards so find it heart breaking. It's too bad that people don't think. By "stocking" areas outside of the populated areas with prey animals it may help to train the cats to stay out there where they are able to get food and not have the need to hunt in farms.

[Starbuck]

In ecuador and Belize, (sadly), problem jaguars are often euthanized by government animal control agencies, because once they learn how easy prey livestock (and small humans) can be, they can become 'hooked'. There was at least one recorded incidence of a young male jaguar traveling over 200 miles to return to the area from whence he was trapped. In Belize, they consider animals which prey on livestock to be a human health risk, because they come into such close proximity. These animals are euthanized if they can be caught. Private jaguar 'sanctuaries' are in most cases full, and due to the wildlife trade regulations and CITES, these animals cannot be rehomed to zoos in other countries.

I like the idea of stocking outside areas with prey animals, but even that has risks, such as prey animals (like goats) outcompeting native herbivores. Additionally, the cats are still 'designed' to have a very large home range and to maintain a territory, so even if prey availability it over requirements, they may still resist being in close proximity with other individuals. It is a very heartbreaking and difficult problem to be sure, and one that may not have a ready answer