Villagers in Assam, an Indian state famous for its tea, killed a leopard and were caught on video parading with its dead body on Sunday.
The incident, which took place in Katahbari, a community near the city of Guwahati, has generated moral outrage in a country of over 1.35 billion people (and only 12,000 - 14,000 leopards, according to estimates) where many have come to treasure what remains of the nation's wildlife.
A video was taken which shows the villagers holding the leopard upside down, dragging the dead animal and howling in excitement.
WARNING! The following video is extremely graphic and may offend sensibilities
Locals kill leopard in Guwahati, Assam. Locals are seen carrying out a procession with carcass. pic.twitter.com/bKBDFGaxSB
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) June 7, 2020
It's a leopard. pic.twitter.com/6LVwP64aRZ
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) June 7, 2020
According to police, the leopard had been creating terror in the area for the past few days and the villagers had laid a trap for it. The police told media that seven people have been arrested in connection with the case. The identities of those who were arrested remains unknown.
According to envirobites, a environmental research portal, cases of humans and leopards running into conflict in India have increased over the past few decades. Leopards are increasingly encroaching into villages, attacking people and preying on their livestock; as a result, nearly 200 leopards are killed in India every year.
The Indian Wildlife Protection Act has labelled leopards an endangered species.
A few days ago, a similar incident infuriated Indians. A female elephant in the southern Indian state Kerala died a painful death after eating explosive-filled pineapples that had been laid down as trap for wild boars.
