SC Agrees To Hear Plea Challenging Shoot-At-Sight Order For Man-Eating Leopard In Rajasthan

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a petition, challenging the order by Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan, to shoot a man-eating leopard on sight, according to reports.

The lawyer, who move the petition and sought a hearing, said there were shoot-at-sight orders against the leopard in Rajasthan Reserve.

According to reports, an expert shooter from Hyderabad was roped in to kill the leopard in Udaipur district. Earlier, several teams involving the army, police and forest department personnel launched a hunt in the forests for the animal. Reports claimed that the leopard had killed at least seven people. It has not been traced yet.

The Forest authorities in the state issued an order on Tuesday to shoot down the animal. The order was issued after a 55-year-old woman, Kamla Kanwar, was reportedly killed on the same day outside her house in Suawaton ka Gudha while she was feeding the livestock.

According to reports, the permission was granted with certain conditions. The authorities had highlighted in the order that an attempt should be made to tranquilise or trap the leopard. They also stated that correct identification should be ensured before killing the animal.