3 injured as leopard strays from Similipal sanctuary

Baripada (Odisha), Nov 12: Three persons were injured after being attacked by a leopard which strayed from Similipal sanctuary area and sneaked into Udala town in Mayurbhanj district on Thursday, Nov 12.

The wild leopard first attacked Hari Murmu (24), as he went out of house to relieve himself in the small hours at Udala NAC area, leaving him critically injured, a forest official said.

When the news spread, hundreds of local people gathered outside the farm house of one Purna Behera where the carnivore was hiding, the official said.

Despite forest and police personnel throwing up a cordon around the farm house, two youths Ranjan Bindhani (38) and Kusha Behera(35) sneaked inside ignoring the warning and got injured as the leopard lunged forward and attacked the duo.

All the three injured were rushed to Udala sub-divisional hospital in critical condition. Baripada DFO Sanjay Kumar Swain, who was camping at the spot, said "We are monitoring the situation."

Efforts are on to drive back the leopard deep inside Similipal sanctuary but no decision was yet taken to trap it by tranquiliser darts, the official said.

PTI