Orissa wildlife officials are inquiring whether a local TV reporter incited villagers to chase and kill a male leopard that had accidentally strayed into a forest plantation near Bhubaneswar early Thursday morning. A one and a half year leopard had strayed into the forest department plantation,located on a high sandbar on Kuakhia riverbed this morning when it was spotted by people of Marichia village under Bhubaneswar panchayat samiti. "I have found from my preliminary inquiry that the leopard was scared when some villagers spotted it. Though the local people informed the wildlife officials in Nandankanan zoological park for capturing it,the animal was beaten and stoned to death just about the time when Nandankanan people reached the spot. The animal was hiding behind the tree plantation and reportedly looked for a way to get out," said Jayanta Kumar Das,divisional forest officer of Bhubaneswar city division. The place where the incident happened was less than 5 km away from city. Officials said the leopard could have strayed from nearby Chandaka wildlife sanctuary. The traumatised animal,injured 3 locals before it was stoned to death. Das said his officials have found preliminary evidences that a local TV reporter had incited the locals to chase and stone the leopard to death for procuring "striking visuals". "This is a very serious allegation and a crime under Wildlife Protection Act. We would soon register a case," said Das. Leopard enjoys highest protection under Schedule-I of WP Act like tigers and elephants. The DFO said the wild animal could have been easily captured had the people waited for just 15 more minutes as the Nandankanan officials had come armed with tranquiliser darts. "The death could easily have been avoided," he said. The carcass of the leopard has been sent to the local veterinary college for post mortem. Wildlife activist Biswajit Mohanty said the officials should take stringent action against the locals who killed the animals as well as the mediaperson who reportedly incited the villagers. Recently,locals in Bhitarkanika sanctuary killed a crocodile that was basking on riverbed after reportedly being incited by a local journalist. The Bhitarkanika officials are probing the incident.
