CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA 
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Dogs used as bait to lure leopards for tourists in national parks: AWC raises alarm
Colombo, February 02 (Daily Mirror) - The Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC) has reported a disturbing trend in which dogs are being used as bait to lure leopards, making the big cats more visible to tourists in national parks.
An AWC official told the Daily Mirror that using dogs to feed wild animals is unnatural and unethical. "While it is natural for leopards to hunt dogs in the wild, deliberately bringing dogs to them for the sake of tourist entertainment is unacceptable and disrupts their natural habitat," the official stated.
The AWC official pointed out that many videos on social media show dogs being used as bait in setups that seem carefully planned. These videos are not natural wildlife moments but staged events arranged by safari jeep drivers. In one example, a dog was used to lure a leopard. After the leopard caught the dog, several safari jeeps quickly arrived to watch the leopard.
"The safari jeep drivers profit by ensuring foreign tourists get a closer view of leopards. Despite numerous reports and objections against this practice, it continues unabated," the official added.
The AWC also said that intentionally feeding wild animals disrupts the ecosystem. "Wild animal populations should be regulated naturally. Artificially feeding them can lead to overpopulation, which poses a threat to both humans and animals," the official explained. The organization has called for the establishment of a national policy to protect wildlife and preserve natural habitats.
In a separate incident, a video circulating on social media showed a dog counterattacking a leopard in a chena (cultivated land). According to an official from Wilpattu National Park, the dog belonged to a man who lived in the area and cultivated a six-acre chena. The man was tragically killed by an elephant while attempting to chase it away from a neighboring chena. After its owner's death, the dog roamed Wilpattu National Park searching for its master, showing no interest in humans or other animals. The dog frequently visited the chena to check if its owner had returned. During one such visit, a leopard attacked the dog, but the dog managed to fight back and chase the leopard away.
The AWC official noted that while this incident was natural and acceptable, any human involvement in such situations would be unethical. "However, it is suspicious that someone was present to film the incident, raising questions about its authenticity," the official said.
The AWC has urged authorities to investigate these incidents to determine whether they are natural occurrences or staged events. "Such practices must be stopped to protect both animals and the integrity of our national parks," the official said.
Therefore, it is recommended to create a national policy to protect both animals and nature, the official said.
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