Leopards on chicken diet as UP crackdown hits beef supply
HARIDWAR:Eight-year-old Ruby a leopardess - is not getting her favourite diet of beef (buffalo meat) after the crackdown on illegal slaughter houses in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. Ruby is one of the seven leopards at Uttarakhand’s Chidiyapur rescue centre located in the outskirts of Haridwar. Forest department officials are having hard time in arranging alternative diet for the felines. For the time being, the big cats are being fed chickens.
The leopards at the centre are those which were either declared man eaters or were caught in some operation. The leopards are full grown and aged between seven and nine years. Officials say they need six kilograms of protein and fat rich meat. As a norm, the department invites tender every year from suppliers and they used to bring the meat (beef) from neighbouring Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh, which is hardly 5 km from the rescue centre.
The contractor, in a letter to officials on Saturday, mentioned that he is unable to supply beef. Minutes after receiving letter, forest department managed chicken meat for the leopards as alternate food. Though, it cannot be a permanent solution as big cats usually survive on red meat to satiate their appetite.
“We are feeding leopards with chickens and trying our best to check this emergency. We are also in a process of issuing a fresh tender for the supply of (goat or sheep) meat,” divisional forest officer HK Singh told HT on Sunday.
But availability of goat or sheep meat (mutton) is an issue in the district. Being a Hindu pilgrimage centre, there are no slaughter houses or meat shops in Haridwar to ensure regular supply of meat for the leopards. Besides, mutton is much costlier than beef. Goat meat is available for ₹350 – ₹400 per kg while before the ban, beef used to be available for anything between ₹170 and ₹230 per kg.
Uttarakhand had enacted Cow Progeny Act in 2007 that prohibits slaughtering of any animal of the cow family, including buffalo and male calf. However, buffalo meat was easily available across the border in Uttar Pradesh until chief minister Adityanath ordered a crackdown on illegal slaughter houses last week.
LEOPARD ATTACKS COUPLE, BEATEN TO DEATH
In another incident on Saturday a leopard which entered a residential colony in Rawali Mahdood village near Haridwar, was beaten to death by the locals after it attacked a couple. Both were shifted to the district hospital where their condition is out of danger. According to the forest department, the leopard was ill and suffering from an old wound.
“The leopard was too weak... We conducted autopsy and disposed the carcass,” said range officer Mahesh Semwal.
The leopard had attacked the dog of 30-year-old Guddi Devi who then came out to save her pet. The leopard then attacked her and her husband. Both of them work as labourers in the industrial area.