Leopard grabs Chhattisgarh boy by neck, drags him towards forest; parents fight it off

RAIPUR: A 10-year-old boy was critically injured after a leopard pounced on him, grabbed him by the neck and tried to drag him towards the forest while he was returning home after watching television at a neighbour’s house in Chhattisgarh’s Gariyaband district on Thursday evening.The incident took place at Kodobattar village in forest fringe settlement. The child was walking back home when the leopard, apparently lying in wait near the village, suddenly lunged at him and clamped its jaws around his neck.His screams brought his parents and family members rushing out. Initially, they thought a stray dog had attacked the child. But when the animal refused to loosen its grip, they moved closer and realised it was a leopard.In a desperate struggle, the parents fought the animal and managed to pull the child out of its jaws. The leopard then fled into the nearby forest.With deep injuries on his neck and body the boy was rushed to hospital, where doctors gave him primary treatment before referring him to Raipur in critical condition.The attack has revived fear in villages, where residents say leopard movement near habitations increases during peak summer, when wild animals stray closer to human settlements in search of water and prey.Following the incident, a forest department team reached the spot and installed trap cameras to track the leopard’s movement. The department has also started making announcements in the village, asking residents not to step out alone after dark and to keep children indoors.Ranger Pranjali Mishra said efforts are on to locate the leopard to prevent further incidents. “Trap cameras have been installed and villagers are being alerted through public announcements,” she said.