Flood-hit Assam forest animal attacked by leopard | News from India

GUWAHATI: Three residents of Dadhia Mahmora and Dadhia Kuligaon villages were injured in a Leopard attack while they sought refuge in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Assam amid devastating floods. The trio, among 48 Villager forced to relocate to the highlands of the park, which stretches across Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts, were searching for their buffaloes on Friday afternoon.
The injured men were taken to Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh where they were treated and discharged, health officials said on Saturday.
TOI had earlier reported possible human-wildlife conflict when flood-affected villagers sought shelter in the park’s highlands, leading to clashes between displaced people and wild animals such as buffaloes and elephants competing for the same higher land.
Injured Abash Dang, 26, said: “Besides the leopard, there were also a few cubs there. We started our search for buffaloes on a boat and landed on a hill. The leopard and the cubs also sought shelter there. The leopard most likely perceived us as a threat and attacked us.”
During the monsoon, when fields and forests are flooded, the villagers of Dodhia confine their buffaloes to the highlands. However, this time they let their cattle roam freely due to a lack of dry land and fodder.
Santana Medhi, Guijan’s tribal forest officer, said leopard attacks were rare as Dodhia residents coexisted with the wildlife. “The buffaloes usually roam the park areas during the day. And suddenly they were attacked by a leopard. We have not recorded any tigers nearby, but leopards are there. There are no human settlements near the attack site,” Medhi said.
Since June 19, when the second wave of floods hit Assam, these families have been moving deeper into the park to save their lives and have taken refuge in the highlands about 5 km from their villages. The flood situation in Assam has improved, with the affected population falling below 1 million for the first time in two weeks. However, another flood-related death was reported in Dhemaji district, taking the total death toll from this season’s floods since May to 91.