Leopard (file photo).
A leopard killed three people in three days in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district. The leopard made a minor girl, a youth and a woman its prey in three days. The man-eating leopard dragged these people into the forest and then hunted them and escaped. People are feeling fear due to man-eating leopard attacks. People are afraid to even step out of the house. The forest department team is also trying to catch the leopard, but so far without success.
In Umaria village of Chachi panchayat in Gogunda police station area, a leopard killed around three people in a radius of five kilometers in the last three days. A minor girl was killed on the first day. The child’s hands were chewed and her mouth, back and chest were also completely bruised. The body of the girl was found inside the forest. The next day a young man working in the field was attacked by a leopard, due to which he died. On the third day, a woman working in the field was also attacked. He dragged the woman into the forests and made her his prey.
People are afraid to go out because of fear
There is fear among the villagers due to the attack of man-eating leopards. People are not stepping out of the house because of fear. The forest department team is trying to catch the leopard, but so far without success. On Friday, villagers blocked the road demanding an early capture of the man-eating leopard. As soon as the information was received, a large number of senior officials, including the forest department, reached the spot and consoled the families of the deceased and the enraged people.
First incident of leopard attack
On the first day of the man-eating leopard attack, a minor girl named Kamala, a resident of Urithal village in Gogunda police station area, went to the forest to graze goats and when she did not return till late night, her family members launched a search for her. She was found dead when they searched the forest. The leopard also tore off his hands and other body parts. The forest department team reached the spot and pulled out the body from four kilometers inside. The girl’s father worked as a farmer and laborer and she was the youngest of two sisters.
Another incident of leopard attack
Another incident took place in the nearby village of Bhevdia. Khumaram, a resident of the village, was working in his field late in the evening. At the same time the leopard also attacked him. As he screamed, the people went towards the forest with sticks, by which time Khumaram had also fallen prey to the leopard. After this attack, the villagers got angry and started protesting. When the dead body was kept in the hospital mortuary and the police handed over the body to the family after postmortem, the man-eating leopard hunted another woman.
Third incident of leopard attack
On Friday our Bhil was cutting fodder in a field near the forest a little distance from his house, where some other women were also cutting fodder. At the same time, a leopard coming from behind attacked the woman, grabbed her by its jaws and took her into the bushes. Hundreds of people from the surrounding area reached there and tried to drive away the panther by pelting stones.
Udaipur Collector called two more rescue teams from outside
Then after a while the leopard got up and climbed the hill and sat down. The leopard sat on the hill for about half an hour, due to which even the villagers got scared and could not approach. By then the woman had died. Seeing the seriousness of the matter, the Udaipur Collector called two more rescue teams from outside, which will now help in finding the leopard. A few teams have been called from Jodhpur and Rajsamand, who will try to pacify him.