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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: Following a viral video capturing the horrific incident of a leopard being allegedly killed by villagers, PETA India supporter and actor Raveena Tandon has sent an urgent letter to the Divisional Forest Officer of Maharajganj, Shri Niranjan Surve, IFS, urging immediate action.
The incident occurred on December 3, 2024, in Chakdah village, near the Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary. The video shows villagers strangling the leopard, which is a species protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972, with their bare hands. One individual had the animal in a chokehold, while another held its neck, and several others restrained the leopard by its legs. The leopard lost consciousness during the capture and tragically died while being transported to a hospital.
In her letter, Raveena Tandon emphasized the need for humane solutions to human-wildlife conflicts. “Conflicts between humans and wildlife cannot be solved by hurting and killing animals. Town planning must include forest protection and human encroachment into wild animals’ shrinking habitats must be curbed,” she wrote. Tandon also stressed the importance of forest officials having protocols to humanely handle wild animals that end up in human villages and taking action against those who take matters into their own hands.
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PETA India recently collaborated with the Sohagi Barwa Forest Division of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department to ensure that a preliminary offence report was promptly registered. However, suitable action against the specific individuals seen in the video is yet to be taken.
The preliminary offence report was registered against unidentified individuals under sections 9 and 51 of the WPA, 1972, despite the faces of the perpetrators being visible in the viral video. Section 9 prohibits the hunting of wild animals protected under Schedule I. The offence is non-bailable and punishable under Section 51 with a jail term of at least three years, which may extend to seven years, and a fine of at least Rs 25,000.
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The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of wildlife in the region and the need for stricter enforcement of wildlife protection laws. PETA India and conservationists are calling for urgent measures to prevent such incidents in the future and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
