Nandapur (Kalahandi): Panic gripped the residents of Nandapur village under Gunduri panchayat in Kalahandi district after a leopard allegedly mauled a cow to death in the village on the wee hours of Sunday.
While the incident is believed to have happened late Saturday night while the villagers were asleep, the matter came to the fore Sunday morning after locals spotted the cow lying dead in the shed.
According to sources, a farmer had tied the cow in his shed Saturday evening. However, it was found dead with bites of the carnivore while the leopard had eaten a portion of its meat.
On getting information, forest officials rushed to the spot and have begun investigation into the incident.
The locals alleged that a leopard has been straying in Gunduri area and attacking domestic animals since the last few days. They demanded adequate measures by forest department to put a check on such incidents.
While the presence of leopard is good news for animal lovers and environmentalists, the attack on domestic animals has left the villagers panicked. They feared to go out for work and remained indoors, most of the time.
Villagers, on the other hand, did not send their children to school in fear of the leopard. However, the forest officials are yet to comment on the presence of the leopard.
Meanwhile, the rising number of leopard deaths in the last few months in the State has raised major concerns for the safety of wild animals. As per reports, three leopards have died in past 25 days in separate places in the State.
In another incident, three persons were injured after they were attacked by a wild boar at Baghabasa village under Kankadahad police limits in Dhenkanal district Sunday.
All the three injured identified as Sribatsa Pradhan, Naba Pradhan and Bimala Pradhan were going to their farmland in the morning when the wild animal attacked them.
The trio has been admitted to Kamakhyanagar government hospital and their condition is said to be stable after treatment, medical reports said.
PNN
