Nuapada: After a lull of one and a half months, a man-eater leopard that had mauled a 4-year-old boy to death at Haladi village in this district has once again spread its reign of terror in the area as two persons were injured in its attack Sunday night.
The injured were identified as Dhanbai Pandey (55), wife of Jagannath Pandey and her 10-year-old granddaughter Chandini.
Panic gripped the villagers after the news spread. Forest department officials had earlier tried to cage the animal, but in vain. Later, it was assumed the animal had left the forest as it was nowhere to be seen for over a month.
However, the leopard strayed into the village on the full moon night. Its pugmarks were found in the verandahs of many houses.
Finding the woman and the child asleep with the door of their house open, the animal dragged them and tried to maul them. However, neighbours and family members woke up on hearing the screams and drove the animal away.
The woman and her granddaughter suffered injuries on their legs. Locals rescued and admitted them to the district headquarters hospital where their condition was stated to be normal.
Forest officials reached the village and intensified patrolling to cage the animal. They tried to trace the pugmarks.
Khariar road forest ranger Basudev Adabang also took stock of the situation. “Steps are being taken to capture the animal,” he said, adding guards would be posted in the village to track the animal’s movements.
Meanwhile, the terrified locals demanded installation of CCTV cameras in the village. PNN