Leopard Ladies of Assam: The Roaring Tale of Rekha & Makon
In a tale straight out of the wild, two fearless women from Khongia village in Assam took matters into their own hands to trap a menacing leopard, proving once again that nothing stands a chance against determined aunties with a plan.
Well, blow me down and call me a mongoose—turns out, when push comes to shove (and the local Forest Department is taking a leisurely chai break), it’s the village women who roll up their sleeves and say, “Right then, let’s sort this out ourselves.”
In the not-so-sleepy hamlet of Khongia, just on the fringes of Jorhat district, two lionhearted ladies—Rekha Bora and Makon Bora—have gone and done what most of us wouldn’t dare even after three cuppas and a motivational podcast. They caught a leopard. Yes, you heard that right. A real, purring, prowling, livestock-munching leopard.
And how, you ask? Not with tranquiliser darts, high-tech drones or a David Attenborough voiceover. No, sir. This was pure Assamese Auntie Ingenuity™ mixed with a dash of “we’ve had quite enough, thank you very much.”
The tale begins like all great epics—with a beast on the loose and bureaucracy playing musical chairs. Livestock were going missing quicker than samosas at a tea party, and the Forest Department, bless their paperwork-loving hearts, hadn’t exactly leapt into action. So what did our heroines do? Did they moan on Facebook or start a WhatsApp group titled “Leopard Problems – Urgent “? No. They wrote an actual letter (old school style, mind you), politely requesting a trap cage. Because why not ask nicely before you go full Rambo?
Eventually, said cage was delivered, and here’s where it gets properly brilliant: Rekha and Makon—unfazed by the fact that they’re not Bear Grylls in sarees—procured a goat, set up the trap, and waited. For four days. Probably with a flask of tea and nerves of absolute steel.
And lo and behold! The leopard waltzed into the trap like a cat who thought it was all a jolly buffet. Victory! Jubilation! News! The villagers turned up like it was a Bihutoli. Someone probably even brought Til Pitha.
But hold onto your biscuits—this wasn’t the end. Because Makon, ever the realist, piped up: “This ain’t the only one, mate.” She reckons there’s more where that one came from, and frankly, who are we to argue? So she’s asked the Forest Department to bring the cage back for a sequel. Leopard 2: The Return.
Let’s take a moment here, shall we? These two women didn’t just defend their homes—they outwitted a predator and a sluggish system, all while wearing sandals and probably scolding someone’s child mid-way. It’s the sort of thing you’d expect from a National Geographic movie, only with better dialogue and a lot more Akhuni.
In short, Rekha and Makon have shown us that courage doesn’t always wear camouflage. Sometimes, it turns up in cotton sarees, with a hairclip in place and a goat on a leash, ready to show the wild who’s boss.
So here’s raising a steaming mug of tea to the Leopard Ladies of Khongia—long may they trap, long may they roar, and long may the world remember: never underestimate the power of women with a plan.
Sources : The Assam Tribune
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