In a life-or-death struggle on the edge of a paddy field, a woman in Bahraich’s Amba village fought off a leopard with her bare hands to save her 6-year-old son on Wednesday evening.
Punita Devi, 38, wife of Kaushal, was with her children when the leopard sprang from nearby bushes, grabbed her elder son, Prince, and began dragging him towards the forest adjoining Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, she said after the incident.
Without a second’s pause, she lunged at the animal, wrestling to free her son, while her younger child struck the predator with a stick. Startled by the resistance, the leopard let go and fled into the forest.
Prince, injured on his back and stomach, was taken to a private doctor in Chafaria and later referred to Mihinpurwa for further treatment.
Village head Iqrar Ahmed praised Punita’s act, saying, “She fought the leopard with her bare hands to save her son. Her bravery is an example for all.” Fearing more attacks, locals have informed the forest department, citing a rise in leopard sightings, including the alleged killing of a cow by the same animal two days earlier.