The two big cats of India, leopard and tiger, have no where to go. They are increasing coming into conflict with people. To see a large leopard wandering through the streets of a city in India looks crazy and it drives the people crazy. Although I have seen men showing off in trying to kill a leopard. It is a chance to be macho. Some leopards are not that large. The one in the photo is very large.
There is nothing good about this. It is a complete failure for leopard and people. The leopard is sometimes surrounded and beaten to death by a large crowd. Horrible and unnecessary. It just should not happen. There is no longer a place in India for the once populous leopard. It is the same old story: human population expands and takes up a bit more of the leopard’s habitat. The leopard’s prey is gradually killed off by people and so the leopard begins to encroach into areas populated by people where it is totally incompatible with them and completely out of place. The leopard is a cunning predator and it can kill a person if desperate enough.
There are other stories about big cats clashing with people at the same time. These are two headlines of 24th Feb 2014:
- Tiger kills its 10th person in six weeks while evading hunters on its trail in India
- ‘Man-eater’: Officials hunting killer tiger after seven people die in attacks in northern India
Where will it all end? There is only one outcome, which is a dead certainty – no more leopards in the wild in India. It will take time but the time will come. Humans are just totally unable to manage the planet so that we can live in “harmony” with other species. The word “harmony” makes me laugh, so far from it are we.
My thanks to Marc for find the picture which is credited AP/Getty Images but I believe it to be in the public domain.
This seems typical. This magnificent cat is a curiosity, a freak show. It is awful. Thanks for the extra info. Cal. The reason why your comment was held for moderation is because the anti-spam software detected two links which indicates spam.
Yes, the photo is very disturbing, as is the text. The image is burned into my brain. [It gave me very strange dreams last night. Especially given my older dreams of being lost in the woods and protected by a Bengal tiger until my father could find me.] At one news site this photo is captioned, [near Delhi]”…in Meerut on February 23, 2014. A leopard sparked panic in a north Indian city when it strayed inside a hospital, a cinema and an apartment block before evading captors, an official said.” As noted in article, images simply credited to AFP/Getty. This image from: http://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/ad_128153168.jpg
Photos showed the beast pushing its way through a lattice wall at the hospital as a policeman in riot helmet, stood ready to hit it with a baton.
READ MORE:
Really?
…Others are reporting at least two have been injured, mostly with cuts or scratches.
Onkar Singh, senior superintendent of police, said: “We urged the public not to go near the animal, but they went close out of curiosity and the animal attacked them, inflicting minor injuries.”Last week another leopard killed a five-year-old boy in the central state of Chhattisgarh, the latest in a string of incidents raising concerns about depleting habitats for big cats which is forcing them into populated areas.
READ MORE:
Now, that’s a dilemma. The cats can’t go veggie, so somebody has to take care of that aspect.
Woody would, probably, be perfect, but he can’t be trusted with sharp objects or any instrument of harm.
Perhaps, we need to intice a butcher to live with us.
We may, also, want to consider Jeff (spouse of Ruth MM) because he has building skills.
Like, perhaps, 90% of humankind you want a different (better) world just like me. I am happy to do the deeds whatever they are 😉 But I can’t kill animals if that is what you mean so we’ll have to go veggie.
I love your fantasy Dee, what a poster that would make 😉
Yup! Cats of all kinds and POCers only. Fish will be plentiful but, since cats and some POCers are meat eaters, we’ll have to have some livestock, especially chickens. I think Michael should be assigned to “do the deeds” unless someone else will volunteer. We’ll need to come prepared with everything we’ll need to raise fruits and veggies.
We will create separated parcels, each with appropriate habitats for each kind of cat, and a small village for humans. Woody will be in charge of building a bathroom (AND USING IT) and doing laundry. He will, also, be confined to the village, so he won’t have any pee pee accidents hopefully. He will be subjected to our educational cat lectures daily.
Aside from tending animals and gardens, we will romp and play.
Thanks for reading my fantasy.