-- Samir Umarye BICHOLIM MARCH 16: Even as many villagers from Pistewada Nanoda Bicholim, where the a leopard had attacked a person while another was killed, have preferred to keep tight-lipped, when Herald tried to investigate have found traps still being laid in the jungle.
It may be recalled that on Sunday a leopard had attacked a person while another leopard was found dead being caught in a trap. On Monday, the people from the village had blatantly denied of laying any traps in the jungle and had expressed their unawareness about the incident. Today, when Herald searched for the fact it was found that there were several traps still laid in the jungle. Most of these traps were the wire traps used by the villagers to catch small animals like that of rabbits. During the two hour search one live trap was found in the forest while several other traps were also discovered, eventhough the wires of these traps were missing. "The people who lay trap might have removed all these wire traps after the leopard incident. So only the wooden poles were found which support these traps" Bicholim Animal Rescue squad chief, Amrut Singh told Herald. The usual wire trap used by most of the hunters consist of a cable wire which is tied to two wooden poles on both sides and at the center several traps are made. These type of wire traps are placed in the forest on the way from where the animals usually move. Once any animal is caught in the trap it becomes very difficult for him to rescue as the knot of the cable becomes tight as the animal uses force to rescue itself. "This is an usual technique used by the hunters and it was in the same type of trap laid for the wild boar that the leopard was caught and died." Amrut Singh explained "the wire traps are usual thing in the area and the trap that we got today is used to catch rabbits, it is surprising that even after such incident the villagers are still laying traps. The forest department should act swiftly and nab those involved in the act" "We are yet to find the trap in which the leopard was caught eventhough we searched the entire area" he told. It may be stated that Nanoda is a village where wild boar, porcupines, monkeys and other small animals are very commonly found. So, the hunters place traps to catch wild boar whose flesh fetches them huge money.
