14 hurt in string of Farrukhabad leopard attacks, big cat tranquilised later
The leopard bit off the nose of one Jitendra Singh Rajput, while the two school-bound children have been identified as Sukhdev and Shivam
At least 14 people, including two students and three forest department workers, were seriously injured on Monday, in a spate of leopard attacks in Farrukhabad.
Of the injured five people have been admitted to private hospitals in Farrukhabad.
The leopard bit off the nose of one Jitendra Singh Rajput, 35 and even attacked a horse.
The two school-bound children have been identified as Sukhdev and Shivam.
Villagers cornered and beat the animal before it fled into the forest near Mau Darwaza. The animal was eventually tranquilised and captured after a four-hour search.
District magistrate Dr VK Singh confirmed that the injured were receiving treatment at Lohia District Hospital, and nearby schools were closed for safety.
The string of incidents began early on Monday morning when the leopard was first spotted in the fields of Jasmei village at around 8.30 am. Police said that after attacking Sukhdev and Shivam on their way to school, the animal then moved on to Madna, where it injured four more people near the home of Raj Singh Fauji.
Villagers quickly surrounded the leopard, but it fled into fields near Noorpur. Forest department staff and locals attempted to capture the animal, but it turned on three forest workers. The workers were rescued only after a group of villagers stepped in.
The leopard continued its rampage, attacking more villagers as it moved deeper into the area. Local authorities, including the police and the sub-divisional magistrate, arrived at the scene, while a large crowd of villagers, armed with lathis, gathered to prevent the animal from entering populated areas.
One of the injured, Devendra, father of Sukhdev, described how he was attacked, while working in the fields. “It came from behind and attacked me, causing injuries on my back,” he said.
Three forest department employees—Sachin Kumar, Mohd Tabish, and forest ranger Siddharth Dubey—were injured while attempting to catch the leopard.
A drone was deployed, which helped locate the leopard in the forest. By noon, a team from Kanpur Zoo arrived and captured the animal using a dart gun. The leopard is currently being treated in Farrukhabad and will later be transported to Kanpur Zoo for further care.
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