Three injured in leopard attack in Karnataka

MANGALURU: Three people including an

Assistant Conservator of Forests

(ACF) and a forest guard were injured in a leopard attack reported from Balpa village in Panja forest range on Thursday.


Providing details of incident ,V Karikalan, deputy conservator of forest (DCF),

Dakshina Kannada

said: "We received a message at around 10am on Thursday, that a leopard was trapped in a snare. Immediately, a team of about 15 forest staff approached and tried to tranquilize the animal with a dart. However, as the forest officials approached the leopard, it managed to escape. As it was running away, it attacked a villager Balakrishna, aged about 70, who was working in the nearby plantation.

Balakrishna was rushed to a hospital in Sullia. He sustained injuries on his upper lips and was immediately shifted to the Government

Wenlock hospital

for further treatment. He is learnt to be out of danger, said DCF.

After this incident, the forest department kept a tab and tracked the leopard using a drone. Between 5pm to 5.30pm on a tip off that leopard was spotted near a bush, the forest department tried to approach it again and the animal jumped on the officials, injuring ACF Austin and forest guard Divith. The injured were rushed to the hospital and are being brought to Mangaluru for further treatment. They are learnt to be out of danger.

Meanwhile, the department is continuing combing in the village and surrounding areas. Three teams consisting of three RFOs and 10 Dy RFOs, supported by doctors are on the field. The forest department has also placed two leopard capturing cages in the area.

Night patrolling

will continue and public announcements are being made.

The area is closely being watched with about 40 men on the field. Search will intensify further and if required, help form the neighbouring tiger reserve will be sought to capture the animal. The animal was probably starved and angry on seeing people around and in a bid to escape, left people injured, Karikalan said.


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