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A five-year-old child was critically injured after being attacked by a leopard on the walkway to the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, June 22. The child, Kaushik, who was accompanied by his grandfather, was dragged by the animal into the bushes of the Alipiri-Tirumala pedestrian route in Tirupati. The leopard took the child but left him and escaped after security personnel posted there raised an alarm.
The child, Kaushik, a resident of Adoni city in Kurnool, was saved by devotees who witnessed the incident and security guards nearby who then took him to Padmavati Children’s Hospital in Tirupati. His condition was critical but has reportedly stabilised.
Following the attack, TTD executive officer Dharma Reddy directed forest wing officials to increase their efforts at monitoring and ensuring the safety of devotees in the region. Further, devotees were advised to remain vigilant and adhere to safety guidelines.
“The child was walking with his grandfather when a leopard approached and caught the child by the neck and took him away into the forest. Tirumala SI Ramesh and a few other officials nearby raised an alarm and rushed to the forest. The leopard left the child and ran away. As of now, there is no injury to the child’s nerves or spinal cord and he is responsive,” said Dharma Reddy.
The incident occurred near the Prasanna Anjaneya Swamy temple at the seventh mile on the Tirumala walkway. The footpath leads to the Tirumala temple.
(With inputs from IANS)
