This tale is just one among many unfolding in present-day India. As night descends, a terrifying spectacle takes center stage—the maneater emerges. The village is instantly alarmed as a child is snatched away. The frantic search commences, but the young girl remains elusive. Sadly, her lifeless body is eventually discovered, victim to a man-eating leopard.
To comprehend the leopard’s behavior, we must first grasp the lives led by the vast majority of rural Indians. Their stories are filled with drama and horror, their experiences unimaginable.
Prompted by recent accounts of leopard attacks on both livestock and people in the vicinity of bustling Mumbai, authorities take to nightly vigils, aiming to identify leopard sightings and restore a sense of security among terror-stricken villagers.
The villagers arm themselves, carrying weapons to defend against the leopards. In the past three months alone, sixteen leopards have been captured, leading the authorities to deploy cages in the fields to ensnare them. The nightmare becomes a grim reality for the villagers, with no end in sight. And amidst it all, the girl’s half-eaten remains are discovered—a haunting testament to the leopard’s savagery.
For the girl’s family, the situation is unbearable. They struggle to comprehend the unfathomable events that transpired. The mother and her daughter were resting outdoors when the leopard abruptly snatched the child from her very lap. Desperate, the mother gave chase, pleading for the creature to return. Yet, the leopard effortlessly evaded her, vanishing into the darkness. No explanation can assuage their anguish, nor can any argument make them understand or accept their devastating loss.
Though smaller in size compared to its African lion and Asian tiger counterparts, the leopard compensates with its strength and stealth. This predator strikes fear into the hearts of its victims, even among humanity. While the leopard enjoys protection as an endangered species, granted internationally, can we deem it acceptable for children to be snatched from their play areas and for villagers to perish under the cover of night? With new casualties occurring weekly, the question persists: leopards or people?
