A hungry snow leopard injured four people in the upper areas of Banihal in the Indian-held Kashmir, before ending up in the captivity of wildlife department officials and dying at a hospital later.
According to details, the snow leopard stalked down the nearby mountains in search of food and attacked four people, including three brothers, in the Wanpora village of Ramban district. However, the human-animal conflict soon alerted the nearby villagers who rushed to the spot and thrashed the unfortunate creature before handing it over to wildlife department officials.
Alpine predators, particularly the endangered snow leopards, are often drawn towards human settlements in winters when several feet of snow reduces their odds of a successful hunt in the wild.
The injured, identified as Ghulam Mohammad, 65, Mohammad Yousaf, 50, Mohammad Aslam, 40, and Riyees Ahmed, 30, were shifted to a hospital. After a few hours, the leopard died in a local veterinary hospital, wildlife department officials said. A handout issued by the Banihal Police also confirmed the incident.
Snow leopard injures 4 before his tragic end
