Bombay frees killer leopards to roam wild in city

The authorities in India are about to release 47 leopards back into the wild - on the outskirts of the city of Bombay.

It is happening because Bombay, India's biggest city, with more than 16 million people, has spread so far it surrounds a national park that was once far from the city limits. Wild leopards thrived in the untouched jungle of the park, but as the city encroached, the big cats began to stray into the streets, stalk the suburbs and attack and even kill the inhabitants.

In one month, 12 people were mauled to death, among them a four-year-old girl dragged from outside her home into the jungle, where her remains were discovered. Other victims included a barrister out for an early-morning run and an 18-year-old killed as he slept outdoors.

In an effort to avoid further deaths, the authorities are resorting to the sort of electronic tagging used for offenders, with an electromagnetic chip implanted in each leopard's tail. So if one does kill again, at least it can be tracked down and recaptured.