Fear grips Palghar villages as leopardess attacks two

A leopardess with her cub in tow is on the prowl at Amgaon, Dongri, Zari and other villages of Talasari in Palghar district. She has attacked two tribals in a fortnight and devoured a sizeable number of fowl, goats and other domesticated animals.

A leopardess with her cub in tow is on the prowl at Amgaon, Dongri, Zari and other villages of Talasari in Palghar district. She has attacked two tribals in a fortnight and devoured a sizeable number of fowl, goats and other domesticated animals. The forest department will set-up two cages to trap the carnivorous animal and will install four camera to capture its movement. Relying on pug marks, forest department officials suspect the mother is accompanied by a cub. The attacks were owing to the threat perception felt by the leopardess for the cub, officials said

A tribal who was attacked by the leopardess.

Nanasaheb Ladkat, deputy conservator of the Dahanu forest, denied that the leopardess is a man-eater.

“We are procuring two iron cages from Bordi and Boisar to trap her,” he said and blamed tribals for encroaching on the leopardess’ territory, leading to man-animal conflict.

“There are four leopards as per our records in the area. Till now, we have not received any complaints of human deaths,”said Ladkat.

On Tuesday morning, Dhansukh Babu Dhodi, a farmer from Thakarpada village in Talasari, was bathing when the leopardess ambushed him. He escaped with back and hand injuries. A fortnight ago, Vasant Mahadu Zarim, 24, from Amgaon, was attacked and suffered head injuries. He is admitted to a Surat government hospital.

Earlier, Damu Devji Walvi thwarted an assault by another leopard. A woman, Devli Devlya Rabad from Dongri Chowkipada also suffered a few bites of the leopard, but she managed to escape.