It is common to hear about elephants, wild boars, peacocks, monkeys, and spotted deer destroying agricultural crops in villages near reserved forests. Now, this conflict has set foot in Bengaluru, India’s IT city. Wildlife experts here receive more than 100 calls every day seeking help to rescue snakes, macaques, owls, and fruit bats, and to remove hornets’ nests and bee hives. As the city rapidly expands, eating into animal habitats, leopards are the latest addition to the urban landscape.
Last month, three leopards were sighted in Bengaluru, one of which was shot dead. Activists say the frequency of sightings may increase, and people must learn to co-exist.
