Sunday, January 23, 2011

Leopards Being Killed Regularly

Leopards are being killed in India on a regular basis. In a shocking incident recently, a leopard was "pushed out" of its habitat and then shot from a short range. In retaliation, the injured leopard pounced on one of its attackers before collapsing.

It is believed that the leopard was killed by villagers for game or by poachers as opposed to it being attacked by villagers in self defense. The seven-year-old male leopard was shot dead. The bullet had pierced the heart, lungs, diaphragm, liver and the anterior parts of the kidney and intestine. According to a report, "The abdominal cavity was full of blood and the leopard died due to circulatory and respiratory failure due to injury to heart and lung.

According to sources, the leopard was spotted by villagers on a nearby hill but it was not in the fields or inside the village, as rumors suggested. A forest official said that it was unbelievable that the leopard would have first injured the villagers, then they would have run to their houses and brought back the gun, while the leopard would be waiting for them to return.


Such incidents have been happening almost every month, and only show the level of insensitivity of people towards harmless animals whose habitat has been encroached upon by humans. Animals would never harm human beings until they are cornered with the intent of being brutally murdered. In most such cases, even the forest officials stand and watch this game of death as mute spectators. They feel helpless due to lack of adequate man power and weapons.

These heinous acts of crime against voiceless animals must be stopped immediately. The government agencies must ensure that the wild animals are protected from insensitive and insane murderers and poachers. Animals are as much needed to save our planet as much as humans are needed. The local population needs to be educated about how animals are necessary to exist in order for us humans to exist on the earth.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Sad Incidents of Stray Animals being Killed or Maimed

Sad incidents of stray animals being thrashed to death or maimed are on an all time rise in India. These incidents have been happening despite sterilizing and vaccinating of a good percentage of the street dogs in cities. The situation is worse in small towns and villages where there are no organizations or government machinery to vaccinate or help these animals. The authorities are supposed to lodge a report whenever they are supposed to know about any such incident of cruelty against animals, but they choose to look the other way whenever an animal is tortured or hurt. Recently, many street dogs were killed mercilessly, but almost no action was taken against the perpetrators.

There are some animal lovers, who try to help and take care of stray animals by giving them food and water, but they face continuous resistance from the local population. The reason given by them for killing stray animals is that these dogs bark at night and make it difficult for them to sleep! Animal rights activists, who try to take care of these animals, or help them, are even threatened with dire consequences if they continue to help animals or report animal abuse! Recently, the house of an animal rights activist was surrounded by a mob of local people who abused, manhandled and threatened these activists of grave consequences if they continued to help animals!


These incidents have become a common practice with almost no help in sight for these helpless animals. The level of awareness and sensitivity among the masses about animal rights is very low, and stray animals live under completely hostile situations. Animal rights activists are often ridiculed and attacked by the local population.


It is a great challenge to help stray animals and work for them under such circumstances. Apart from working for the welfare of these animals, the masses need to be educated about being sensitive to the needs of stray animals and the difficulties they face in order to survive. Stray animals need to be looked after for food, water and medicines. They also need to be spayed/neutered so that their uncontrolled breeding is restrained, thus saving them from further torture. Animal lovers need to join hands together to raise their voice against animal atrocities, and come forward to help them. We will try our best for the situation of these animals to improve in the new year, as we will continue raising our voice and working for them.