News

Daylight leopard attack sparks panic in Uttarakhand's Pauri, 55 schools shift to online classes

DEHRADUN: Amid recurring natural disasters and forest fires, Uttarakhand is now facing an alarming surge in humanwildlife conflict, placing unprecedented pressure on the state government. The crisis is most severe in Pauri district, where the threat posed by a predatory leopard has forced the Education Department to take drastic measures temporarily closing 55 schools and shifting all teaching to online mode. Locals describe the atmosphere in Pauri as eerily similar to the intense restrictions witnessed during the COVID-19 lockdown, driven entirely by fear of the roaming big cat. The leopards activity has brought life to a standstill, said villager Balbir Singh Rawat. It feels like we are under a self-imposed lockdown again, but this time the threat is not a virus; its a predator roaming in broad daylight. The situation escalated after the leopard reportedly killed a man in broad daylight last week, sparking immediate and furious protests from residents who demanded swift action and the immediate culling of the identified man-eater. Despite public outcry and the deployment of a designated shooter by the Forest Department, the leopard remains at large, intensifying the climate of fear across Pauri. In response to the danger, the Education Department ordered the closure of all schools under the BEO circles of Bada, Chardhar and Dhandhari until Tuesday. The safety of our children is paramount, said Dr. Mukul Kumar Sati, Director, Secondary Education. He added that affected institutions must switch immediately to online teaching modalities to ensure their education is not completely derailed. District Magistrate Swati S. Bhadauria has also taken cognizance of the heightened animal activity. Based on Forest Department reports, the DM issued an order on Saturday temporarily revising the timings of all schools and Anganwadi centres across Pauri district. Schools and Anganwadi centres will now operate strictly between 9:15 am and 3:00 pm., the order stated, instructing the Chief Education Officer to ensure strict compliance. The epicentre of the current panic is Gajald village in the Pauri Range of the Garhwal Forest Division, where the fatal attack took place on Thursday. Villagers reported leopard sightings in neighbouring Siroly village on Friday and Saturday as well. Following the killing, residents expressed intense frustration with both the Forest Department and the administration for failing to control the threat. Although the Forest Department immediately declared the leopard a man-eater and deployed specialised teams, locals say the increased security presence has done little to ease their daily fear. As dusk falls each day, markets in the affected areas are shutting early, with people hurrying home before sunset to avoid any chance encounter with the elusive predator.