Leopard kills man in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari forest, another child attacked in Gariyaband as fear spreads in villages

Raipur: Fear of leopard attacks has tightened its grip over forest villages in Chhattisgarh after a 55-year-old man was mauled to death in Dhamtari district, while a young girl sustained serious injuries in a separate leopard attack in neighbouring Gariyaband district within hours. The back-to-back incidents have triggered panic across forested pockets, with villagers accusing the forest department of failing to curb the growing movement of big cats near human settlements. Three kids in Gariyaband came under attack last week. In Dhamtari district’s remote Belargaon region, the mutilated body of Chauthram Mandavi, 55, was recovered from a hillock near Kormud village on Thursday morning. Mandavi had stepped out for defecation on Wednesday evening but did not return home till late night, prompting family members and villagers to launch a search operation.His body was found lying in a gruesome condition in the hilly forest terrain. Villagers said one of his hands and a leg were missing, while the abdomen had been ripped open. Drag marks were also spotted near the body, strengthening suspicion that he was attacked and dragged by a leopard.Forest officials reached the spot soon after the incident surfaced and began an investigation. Surveillance in the area has been intensified and villagers have been advised not to venture alone into nearby forest and hill areas, especially after sunset.Residents said Kormud village is surrounded by dense forests and rugged hills that serve as natural habitats for leopards and bears. Locals suspect that the intense summer heat and shrinking water sources may have forced the leopard to move closer to the village in search of prey and also made them aggressive.The latest killing has revived memories of an earlier tragedy in the same region, where a leopard had allegedly lifted a child from the courtyard of a house. The child’s remains were later recovered from nearby hills.Even as panic spread in Dhamtari, another leopard attack was reported from Gariyaband district’s Chhura block on Wednesday evening.According to locals, Ramprasad, a labourer from Parsapani village, had gone with his family to Kurubhatha village pond around 6pm. While the family was bathing, a leopard allegedly hiding nearby suddenly pounced on his daughter Lakshmi and bit her on the neck.Hearing the child scream, family members rushed towards her, forcing the leopard to flee. The girl suffered serious neck injuries and was first taken to the district hospital before being referred to Raipur due to her critical condition.Villagers claimed the leopard in the area had earlier preyed on dogs and cattle but had recently started attacking children, raising fears that it may be turning man-eater.Many said people were now avoiding stepping out after dusk, while children and women were being warned against moving alone near forest fringes.