Two leopards keep Chittoor villages awake: no sleeping on terraces for three months
Residents in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, are living in fear due to the presence of two leopards that have been sighted repeatedly near local villages. The animals, survivors of a territorial dispute, have forced villagers to abandon their traditional practice of sleeping outdoors.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing conflict between human expansion and wildlife habitats, posing significant safety concerns for rural communities.
For generations, residents in parts of Chittoor rural mandal, Andhra Pradesh , have been used to sleeping under the open sky to escape sweltering nights. But for nearly three months, two elusive leopards have turned terraces, balconies and courtyards into fear zones, forcing residents indoors despite night temperatures hovering around 30°C.
The scare runs across a cluster of villages around Diguvamasapalle panchayat and into Thalambedu panchayat, from Thatimakula Pallim and Chettigaripalle through the Yanadi ST Colony to Bangareddypalle, a stretch where sleeping outdoors has been the rule from March to October. Residents, particularly in SC and ST colonies, say it is how they have always beaten the heat. Now, fear keeps them shut behind doors.
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