Uttarakhand Students Carry Sticks, Sickles to School Amidst Leopard Threat

• Children in Bageshwar, Uttarakhand, are attending school armed with sticks, clubs, and sickles due to the constant threat of leopard and bear attacks.
• The fear intensified after a fatal leopard attack on January 7 in the Mankot region, making the journey to Government Higher Secondary School Pantquairali perilous.
• Students, some walking up to 6 km through dense forests, are advised to travel in groups and make noise for safety.
• The Uttarakhand Secondary Teachers' Association requested a change in exam schedules, proposing morning shifts and earlier completion of internal exams by February 18, citing wildlife threats.
• DFO Bageshwar has cleared bushes around the school and plans to arrange a fleet and provide whistles for student safety, though challenges persist.

Why It Matters: Students in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district are forced to carry weapons to school for protection against wild animals.