Assam’s Tingrai village chooses calm over anger at leopards

For about a month, a male and a female leopard have been moving around Tingrai No. 1 Muslim village near Digboi in Assam’s Tinsukia district. The animals killed at least three goats. The residents did not turn on them. They informed the authorities and alerted forest staff and wildlife rescuers.

One villager said the leopards had not been aggressive towards people and added, “Losing a couple of livestock doesn’t mean we should be aggressive towards the animals.” The village sits in the Digboi forest belt, part of the larger Dehing Patkai landscape, the same town that recently invited all communities to its gurdwara’s 100th year.

Conservationist Devajit Moran said village areas are seeing more human-wildlife conflict because of habitat loss. Experts have asked people not to approach the leopards, to secure their livestock and to report sightings to forest officials quickly.