Bolangir/Kantabanji: Panic ensued at Kurli village in Bolangir district after a leopard strayed into the village and attacked three persons including a forest ranger Monday.
Forest officials had a tough time ensnaring the leopard as they struggled for over 12 hours to tranquilize the animal and put it inside a cage.
A minor boy identified as Milan Rana and Kantabanji forest range officer Bijay Khuntia were critically mauled by the leopard.
The duo were rescued and rushed to the district headquarters hospital in Bolangir. Turekela IIC Satyajit Kundakel sustained minor injuries after he jumped off the roof of a house in a bid to save himself from the marauding leopard.
The forest officials after ensnaring the animal in a cage brought it to Bolangir according to latest reports.
The animal first strayed into the village and sneaked inside the house of a villager named Aniruddh Rana in the wee hours of Monday.
His neighbours who had woken up in the morning noticed the animal and raised an alarm when it tried to escape and entered the house of his neighbour Barun Rana. Meanwhile, Barun’s son Milan tried to drive away the animal but was instead rendered critical in the attack by the animal.
Later, the animal ran into the house of Ujjawal Rana in the vicinity through an open window. Ujjawal had locked up his house and was staying near his farmland for the last six months.
On being informed, Kantabanji forest range officer Bijay Khuntia reached Kurli village and took stock of the situation as the villagers assembled at the site and raised an uproar to drive away the big cat.
Scared, the animal ran out of Ujjawal’s house and attacked the ranger who was at the spot. Khuntia sustained critical injuries on his face and hands. The animal after the attack reentered the house of Ujjawal.
The incident then triggered panic in Kruli and adjoining villages as the Bolangir DFO, Rashmi Ranjan Samal and forest offcials from Kantabanji, Lathor, Harishankar, Banogomunda, Muribahal and Titilagarh range rushed to the spot. RCCF Suresh Pant and a wildlife tranquilizer team from Bhawanipatna and Hirakud reached the spot while police officials from Turekela and Kantabanji managed the crowd.
Later, the forest officials and the wildlife team tranquilized the animal and put it inside the cage. PNN
