Imbalance in ecosystem and lack of food causing leopard attack – Karnataka Home Minister. Check details!

Belagavi: Imbalance in the ecosystem and lack of food in their natural habitat has led to increase in leopard attack, believes Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jananendra.

While responding to the complaints of leopard attack raised during the zero hour by JD(S) MLA Ashvin Kumar and other MLAs.

“I come from the Malnad region and animal attacks have affected us. Leopards are not getting their food I the forests. There is an imbalance,” Jnanendram who is MLA from the Tirthahalli constituency, said while responding on behalf of the government.

Ashvin Kumar, who raised the issue, mentioned that his taluk is spread across 58,000 hectares of which only 117 acres are reserved forest, and rest all cultivated land. “There are 10 to 15 leopards in my taluk and there is massive fear among the locals,” Mr. Kumar added.

Meanwhile, Dasarhalli JD(S) MLA R Manjunath also claimed that there is need of 20-25 traps, while the forest department is using just 5-6 traps. On listening concerns from several MLAs, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri urged them to suggest some solutions.

While Sandur Congress MLA E Tukaram suggested a dedicated sanctuary for leopards, Varuna Congress MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah said that on time harvesting of sugarcane crops as the ‘sugarcane fields have become a place for leopards to hide, and making their capture difficult.’

However, senior Congress MLA and former Speaker Ramesh Kumar said that leopards are carnivorous animals simply looking for food, and as we have altered the structure of the nature, such attacks are happening.

With inputs from PTI.