An elusive leopard attacked a man on Wednesday, who was guarding his sheep in Telangana’s Kamareddy district. The man suffered bite injuries to both his hands when he tried to confront the animal. The incident took place at around 2 am.
The man was identified as Nayaka Mallesh, a native of Somarpet in Yellareddy mandal. Mallesh is availing treatment at the area’s government hospital in Yellareddy. According to Mallesh, reports of the leopard on the prowl forced him to stand guard at the shed which housed his livestock, when he was attacked.
“The sheep were in the shed which I was guarding. The leopard had initially preyed on one sheep, and when it came back to another one, I tried to stop it. And it attacked me, said Mallesh. The spot where the incident occurred was close to a forest area, officials said.
The forest officials learned about the incident at around 10 am, following which Mallesh was shifted to the local hospital. Authorities said that they would shift him to a private hospital if he needs more treatment. The forest department can compensate victims of animal attacks up to Rs 50,000. Meanwhile, camera traps have been set up in the area to capture the animal’s movements.
Forest authorities, however, could not find any suitable pug marks that could help them in identifying and tracing the animal. “The marks had been ruined. They were not clear,” District Forest Officer of Kamareddy told TNM. “The animal has been elusive for a while,” he added. Teams have been formed to capture the animal.
Earlier in January, a leopard suspectedly killed a lamb in Telangana’s Rajanna-Sircilla district, causing a panic among the local residents.