Guj: Leopards killed 14 people in Junagadh and Amreli in 2 yrs

A total of 14 people were killed while 71 others injuredin as many as 80 attacks by leopards in Junagadh and Amreli districts during the last two years, the Gujarat Legislative Assembly was told on Tuesday.

Such incidents have risen significantly year-on-year, as per the data.

While six persons were mauled to death by big cats in Junagadh, eight persons were killed in Amreli between November 2017 and November 2019.

The number of the injured people in Junagadh was 31 while it was 40 in Amreli during November 2017-19 period, as per the data shared by Gujarat Forest Minister Ganpat Vasava during Question Hour.

"In total, 80 incidents of attacks by leopards took place in these two districts in two years, which led to the death of 14 persons," Vasava stated in a written reply to a query raised by Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar.

In Junagadh, 25 attacks were reported during 2018-19 compared to 12 such incidents in the previous year while in Amreli 32 such attacks had taken place in 2018-19 as against 11 in 2017-18.

A total of 435 leopards were caged in both these districts following the attacks, it said, adding that 316 leopards were caught in Junagadh and 119 in Amreli in two years.