The Indian leopard is widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent. It is threatened by illegal trade of skins and body parts, and persecution due to human-leopard conflict and retaliation for livestock depredation. In most of India, a leopard killing a goat leads to angry villagers setting traps or poisoning the carcass. However, in Jawai it is rare. The local Rabari herdsmen believe leopards are messengers of the Hindu God Lord Shiva. They traditionally view the loss of livestock as an "offering" to the deity. If a leopard kills a cow or goat, the owner is often compensated quickly by the government and local conservationists.