Dibrugarh: A leopard was killed by angry residents in Duliajan in Assam’s Dibrugarh district on Wednesday after it allegedly attacked a local man, triggering panic in the area.
According to reports, the incident occurred in the Tipling Gutibari locality of Duliajan on Wednesday afternoon when the leopard attacked a resident identified as Rubul Dutta.
Dutta sustained injuries in the attack and was immediately rushed to the Oil India Hospital in Duliajan, where he is currently undergoing treatment.
Following the attack, panic spread across the locality and an agitated group of residents retaliated and killed the leopard.
Local residents alleged that they had repeatedly alerted the Forest Department about frequent leopard sightings in the area over the past few months but no effective measures were taken to trap the animal.
“We had informed the Forest Department several times, but no steps were taken to capture the leopard. People were frightened. After the attack, residents reacted in anger,” a local resident said.
Residents said several parts of Duliajan, including Madhuting Borkola and Tipling, have witnessed frequent leopard movement, particularly after dusk, in the recent months.
Incidents of human-leopard conflict have reportedly increased in nearby villages as leopards venture into human settlements in search of food. Locals attribute the growing encounters to shrinking forest cover and habitat disturbance, which they say are forcing the animals to move closer to residential areas.