importance of going to School - leopard too visits in Chikmagaluru

Education is most important  - only it can raise the standards of people and society. Importance of going to school needs no elaboration – but this school entry is different !

Leopards are graceful and powerful big cats closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. They live in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China. However, many of their populations are endangered, especially outside of Africa.The leopard is so strong and comfortable in trees that it often hauls its kills into the branches. By dragging the bodies of large animals aloft it hopes to keep them safe from scavengers such as hyenas. Leopards can also hunt from trees, where their spotted coats allow them to blend with the leaves until they spring with a deadly pounce. Compared to other members of Felidae, the leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull.  Here is a photo of leopard on a tree – photo credit – National Geographic.

Chikkamagaluru is a town in Karnataka,  located in the foothills of Mullayanagiri range,famous for its serene environment, lush green forests and tall mountains. Chikamagalur is also famous for coffee and is known as the 'coffee land' of Karnataka. National Highway 173 passes through the city.  The word translates to "younger daughter's town" in Kannada language, said to have been given as dowry to the youngest daughter of Rukmangada, the legendary chief of Sakrepatna (now in Kadurtaluk of Chikkamagaluru District)

In villages / cities closer to forests, entry of animals in human habitat  are not totally new – yet  here at Chikmagalur, a fierce animal pounced on three people and injured them before treading into school premises.To the shock of students and teachers, the  leopard entered into the premises of a private school in Chikkamagaluru.

The Hindu of date reports that the  leopard is currently locked inside a room.Forest Department staff have put a cage at the door and a team of veterinarians with tranquilizers are arriving from Shivamogga.The leopard was spotted early in the morning at Kadur club premises in the heart of the city. Later it moved to TMS School. A person, who spotted the animal near the club, suffered minor injuries as it pounced on him in the morning.  Upon entering the school premises, the leopard entered a room.   A forest official also suffered injuries when the animal caught his hand as he tried to close a window of the room.

photo credit : the Hindu

The school management had to  declare a  holiday. As the news of the leopard entering TMS School premises spread, hundreds of people gathered around the school and the police were kept busy managing the mob.

Chikmagalur was the constituency that elected Indira Gandhi in a by-election in 1978 after she lost the 1977 election in Rae Bareli, thereby paving the way for her eventual return to power in 1980.  ChikmagalurLokSabha constituency was a former LokSabha (parliamentary) constituency in Karnataka which no longer exists after the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies in 2008.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

24^th July 2015.