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Amid increasing leopard attacks in Pune district, terrified villagers in Pimperkhed in Shirur tahsil have adopted an unusual safety measure by wearing belts or collars fitted with sharp nails around their necks while working in the fields, and installing iron grills around their homes to protect themselves.
In addition to collars and iron grills, many households have installed an electric fence around their homes as a precautionary barrier. Villagers claim that frequent leopard sightings and multiple recent attacks have made routine outdoor activities risky, especially during early mornings and late evenings. Vitthal Rangnath Jadhav, a villager, said that they spot a leopard every day, and his mother fell prey to one a month ago. He told ANI that a girl was also recently killed in a leopard attack. Jadhav said, "We are wearing these collars around our neck because of leopards. Leopards come here anytime. We need to save ourselves. This is why we wear this. Farming is our only source of income. We cannot sit at home fearing leopard attacks. We spot a leopard every day. One month ago, my mother fell prey to a leopard. Before her, a little girl was killed by a leopard." Describing the assault against his mother, the villager said that she was dragged for about a kilometre into the sugarcane fields. He urged the government to take necessary action against the problem faced by the Pimperkhed village residents. "My mother had stepped out at 6 am to feed our cattle, and that is when the leopard attacked her. It dragged my mother for about a kilometre into the sugarcane fields. Everyone in the village is very scared. We wear these collars every time we step out of the house. I urge to government to do something about it," Jadhav said. (ANI)
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