Leopard attack leaves youth injured near Hampi

Hampi (Vijayanagara): A youth was injured after a leopard attacked him at Kaddi Rampura near the Unesco World Heritage site of Hampi on Friday night.The victim, identified as Karapudi Raja of Kaddi Rampura, had gone to his agricultural field to water crops when the leopard reportedly attacked him. He sustained severe injuries to his leg and is undergoing treatment at the district govt hospital.Forest officials said a leopard was spotted roaming in the New Hampi area two days ago, with its movement captured on a CCTV camera installed at a house. However, officials are yet to confirm whether the same animal was involved in the latest attack.“We cannot immediately confirm whether the attack was carried out by the leopard seen in New Hampi or by another leopard. A cage has been placed to capture the animal,” RFO Kaushik Dalavai said.Forest department personnel are monitoring the area and have initiated efforts to trap the leopard, as concern grows among residents of villages surrounding Hampi.Since 2021, leopard sightings have been repeatedly reported around Hampi and its fringe villages, including agricultural fields and movement corridors linking rocky hills with human settlements.In 2023 and 2024, leopards were spotted near residential and tourist areas, including the surroundings of Virupaksha Temple, Hemakuta Hill, and Janata Plot, with multiple CCTV captures of their movement along habitation fringes.In 2025, continued leopard movement into human-inhabited areas was reported, prompting intensified monitoring and cage-trapping efforts by the forest department in identified corridors around Hampi.