Fear has gripped the students and teachers of the Morarji Desai and Kittur Rani Chanamma School as a leopard is on the prowl. The students and teachers stay behind closed doors in the evenings fearing the wild animal as there is a compound wall to the hostel building in Thimmarajapura near Kollegal, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
The Morarji Desai Residential School is in the Gundal forest range falling at the foot of the Bili Giri Ranganathaswamy hills with a spike in wildlife movement. However, the leopard's activity has increased in the last couple of days and it was also sighted near the school, which has worried both the students and their parents.
Moreover, there are reports of leopard sightings in Kampana palya, Raksapalya, Karala katte, Jakahalli, Kurubanakatte, Arepalya, and other places, worrying the farming community and women who go out to work in the fields. The villagers have also seen leopards attacking the pets in the village as well as in the fields.
Additionally, the 450 students are living in fear and the authorities have been urged to construct the compound wall with solar fencing to restrict wild animals like elephants, leopards, wild boar, and bison from coming near the school. Although, the forest officials have placed cages to trap the big cat it has not helped matters as the wild animal continues to prowl. The forest department also set up 40 members leopard task force which is patrolling the area.
Parents demand
The parents have pressed for the construction of a compound wall as the students always move between the dining hall and hostel rooms, and feared who will be responsible if they are attacked by wildlife. In this regard, Raitha Sangha leader Shylendra said that the leopard's activity has hit farming and people's movement.
He said that women have stopped going to the fields and want the forest department to act soon so that they come out of fear. RFO Sharath said that the department men are on their toes to trap the leopards and have placed bones as traps, as stated in The New Indian Express.
