DEHRADUN: In a surprising twist of perception, Uttarakhand’s leopards, long associated with cunning tactics and frequent attacks in residential areas, are now often seen as less aggressive than the region’s tigers. This public sentiment, however, is starkly contradicted by official human-wildlife conflict data spanning the last decade, which reveals leopards are responsible for significantly more human deaths and injuries.According to internal records from the Forest Department, the period between 2014 and 2024 paints a grim reality. Leopard attacks resulted in a staggering 214 human fatalities and left 1,006 individuals injured across the state. In stark contrast, tiger attacks during the same decade, while still deadly, accounted for 68 deaths and 83 injuries – figures significantly lower than those attributed to leopards.The trend for the current year, from January to June, further complicates the narrative. Forest Department statistics indicate a total of 25 human deaths and 136 injuries from all wildlife attacks. Within this timeframe, tigers were responsible for 10 fatalities and three injuries, while leopards caused six deaths and 25 injuries, underscoring their continued impact, particularly in non-fatal encounters.
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