GUWAHATI: Three residents of
Dadhia Mahmora
and Dadhia Kuligaon villages were injured in a
leopard attack
while seeking refuge in
Dibru Saikhowa National Park
in Assam amidst devastating floods. The trio, among 48
villagers
forced to relocate to the highlands of the park spanning Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts, was searching for their buffaloes Friday afternoon.
The injured men were taken to Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh, where they received treatment and were discharged, health officials said on Saturday.
TOI had earlier reported of potential human-wildlife conflicts as flood-affected villagers took shelter in the park's highlands. This has led to clashes between displaced humans and wild animals, like buffaloes and elephants, competing for the same elevated land.
Abash Dang, 26, who was injured, said: "Alongside the leopard, there were a few cubs as well. We started our search for buffaloes on a boat and disembarked on a highland. The leopard and the cubs were also seeking shelter there. The leopard most likely perceived us as a threat and attacked us."
Dodhia villagers confine their buffaloes to highlands during the monsoon when fields and forests are submerged, but they had let their livestock roam freely this time due to the lack of dry land and fodder.
Santana Medhi, forest range officer of Guijan, said leopard attacks are rare as Dodhia residents have coexisted with the wildlife. "The buffaloes typically roam the park areas during the day. And all of a sudden, the leopard attacked them. We have not documented the presence of tigers in the vicinity, but there are leopards. There are no human settlements in close proximity to the location where the attack happened," Medhi said.
Since June 19, when the second wave of floods hit Assam, these families have moved deeper into the park to save their lives, seeking refuge in highlands about 5km from their villages. The flood situation in Assam has shown improvement, with the affected population dropping below 10 lakh for the first time in two weeks. However, one more flood-related death was reported in Dhemaji district, increasing the total fatalities from this season's floods to 91 since May.
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