Photo Feature
Cat Conflict
In Guwahati, Assam, people lived in harmony with their land for centuries. But as with so many other geographies, this city on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra has altered its relationship with nature. Today, encroachments and pollution rule the day, stealing habitats from wild animals as diverse as elephants, river dolphins and this unfortunate Indian leopard Panthera pardus fusca, all of which are forced into conflict with their much more powerful neighbour, Homo sapiens. The incident was aggravated when an unruly crowd harassed the already traumatised leopard, which strayed into an urban human settlement. Cornered and harangued, the leopard attacked a man who had tried to chase it away with an iron rod as hundreds blocked its only escape route to freedom. It took the hard-pressed Forest Department almost 45 minutes to immobilise the cat, after spending three arduous hours trying to control the crowd that had gathered for apparent entertainment.
Photo: Manas Paran
Location: Guwahati, Assam Details: Camera: Nikon D300S, Lens: 18-55 mm. f/3.5-5.6, Shutter
speed: 1/125 sec., Aperture: f/4.8, ISO 400, Focal length: 32 mm. Image taken: January 07, 2012; 1:18 p.m.
