July 9, 2002	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 27,1423

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MUZAFFARABAD, July 8: The wildlife wing of the AJK tourism department has detailed two teams to push back eight leopards from the surroundings of two village into forests following reports that they had killed some cattle and were threatening human lives, an official said on Monday.

Wildlife Deputy Director Mohammad Yousaf Qureshi told Dawn that the department had received information that four leopards, including two cubs, had killed some cattle besides endangering the lives of the residents of Bashash village.

“Taking swift action on these reports, we have dispatched a three-man team to Bashash with the task to push the animals back into the forests, which are their natural habitat,” he said.

The team was using firecrackers to scare the animals into leaving the area, but so far it had not succeeded, he said.

In reply to a question, Mr Qureshi said the villagers had been allowed to kill the beasts only in self-defence. Any such attempt otherwise would render them liable to punishment under the Wildlife Act, he warned.

He said another pair of leopards with two cubs was causing scare in the Machiara area. However, the danger to villagers there was less than that at Bashash, he said. A team of three persons, Mr Qureshi said, had been sent to Machiara to drive the leopards away.