Mussoorie leopard helpline connects to Pune woman’s number, creates confusion

MUSSOORIE: After reports of over 12 leopard sightings in 40 days in Mussoorie, the forest department had circulated a helpline number for people to call in case they spotted a big cat. However, the number turned out to be that of a lady based in Pune who says that she was surprised when people started calling her about leopards near their homes and expecting her to take action.
On November 29, the forest department had circulated a number which people could call in case of any leopard sightings.However, the number actually belonged to Pune-based Kajal Murthy. She told TOI over phone from Pune that she “had no idea how my number was given out in Uttarakhand.” “I was surprised to get a few calls telling me about leopard sightings. I just couldn’t make the connect. This is really very weird,” she said.
The Mussoorie forest division had circulated the number after a meeting held on Tuesday to discuss the leopard menace in the area. Saket Badola, divisional forest officer, Mussoorie, could not be reached to elaborate on how the faux pas occured despite several attempts.
Meanwhile, a call to the actual helpline number -- 7088460960 -- was received by forest employee Vinod Kumar who claimed that the number was operational since December 2. “We have already received 4-5 calls about leopard sightings, some as late as 11 pm. Whenever a call comes, our team is sent to the spot to check the claim.” He could not explain about the helpline calls going to the Pune number.
In the meantime, the fear of the guldar (which is what the leopard is referred to locally) continues. R N Mathur, president of the Mussoorie Hotel Association, told TOI, “The situation is quite grim with so many leopard sightings happening so close to human habitation. Simply sharing a phone number doesn’t help. There needs to be a general feeling of safety. On our part, we are advising our guests and tourists to strictly avoid stepping out at night.”
While it’s not uncommon to hear of leopard sightings in the hill town in winters, this year, it began as early as the last week of October. The sightings haven’t been limited to secluded areas either. For instance, a leopard cub was seen crossing the busy Gandhi Chowk area on November 16. The same evening, the cub’s mother attacked a hotel employee who had a narrow escape. About a week later, Nand Lal Sonkar, former member of the Mussoorie municipal council, who was going home for lunch saw a female leopard in front of his house near Kempty taxi stand. Two teams comprising of 4-5 forest officials were formed to patrol the areas soon thereafter but as the calls to the helpline show, the shadow of the guldar still looms large over the hill town.