A police team mobilised to put down the maneater leopards terrorising the people of Talloswaorad region in Baitadi has say the weapons they are carrying cannot hit the target unless they get too close to the beasts risking their own lives.

“We need better weapons to kill the leopards. The SLR rifles we have with us cannot even hit a target within 300-metre range,” said Assistant Sub-inspector of Police Ganesh Datta Joshi.

The team also lacks proper torch lights, making their task all the more difficult, he added.

The District Police Office has mobilised 15 of its men to hunt down the leopards. They have been after the leopards for the last three weeks, failing to shoot them down with every opportunity they have had so far.

The leopards have already preyed on 27 people in the region in the past four years. Two young girls from Udayadev VDC were killed last month.

Terrorised locals say the leopards are still attacking their cattle from time to time.