Published in South Express on 13.9.25

Recently, in the Bannerghatta forest area in Karnataka, a leopard climbed onto a safari jeep that was completely secured with a grill. The leopard attacked a boy inside the jeep by reaching its foreleg through the viewing hole. The incident was captured on video and went viral, as the boy was hospitalized for minor bruises. It’s important to remember that animals often act spontaneously and defensively. As for the safety measures in this case, there does not seem to have been any lapse on the part of the forest department. Even the boy was not at fault. An investigation is probing the cause. Perhaps the animal may have sensed a threat from the tourists and reacted accordingly. As the viewing hole was small, the animal could not enter the jeep.

Ecotourism everywhere has become a menace, disturbing the privacy of the wild animals. The tourists must indeed keep a safe distance from wild animals. More so in the case of stray animals. In one of the safaris, I found myself very close to a tigress. The jeep did not have grills to secure the tourists. In their excitement to capture close-up photographs, tourists often tend to put their heads and hands outside the jeep. Additionally, safari drivers quickly share information with other jeeps via wireless communication. In no minute, all the jeeps parade in the spot to get better scores from their passengers. Tourists comfortably forget that they are disturbing the privacy of the animals. Many instances of attacks by wild animals have been reported from various parts of the country. While wild animals are making headlines, we must also acknowledge the issue of stray dogs.

The behavior of stray animals is often unpredictable. Animals behave instinctively, while humans are rational beings. Neither the animals nor the affected people should be neglected. The grim stories about stray dogs continue. Even as the man-animal conflicts continue, both need a better deal. The revised court order gave some respite for stray dog enthusiasts. But the victims of stray dog attacks are at large. We should not forget that although humans are at the top of the food chain, they cannot live without other living organisms, right from carnivores to street dogs. The Government should take balanced action to protect both human beings and animals, as it is bound by the constitutional obligation to provide a better livelihood to all living beings.