A 12-year-old boy is said to have escaped a leopard attack by piercing its eye with his finger, at Beeregowdanahundi, near Kadakola, in Mysuru taluk, on Monday.
Nandan Kumar is the boy, who was successful in chasing the wild cat. But, he sustained bite injuries on his neck and shoulders, as the animal attacked him. He is being treated at a private hospital in Mysuru and is recuperating.
According to villagers, Nandan Kumar was feeding his cow at his farmhouse near Kadakola. There is a 140-acres vacant land that belongs to KPTCL, adjoining their farmhouse. The vacant land has wild growth of bushes.
The leopard that was hiding nearby suddenly pounced on Nandan, when he was feeding the cow. The boy, in an effort to escape from its hold, without fear, pierced his finger on one of its eyes. The wild cat, which did not expect the counter-attack, released its hold on him and escaped into the bushes.
Irked over the incident, the residents of Kadakola, KM Hundi, BG Hundi and K N Hundi staged a protest in front of the KPTCL office, demanding them to clear the bushes on the premises.
Speaking to DH, RFO Girish said, "Usually leopards do not attack humans. For the first time, a leopard attacking a boy has been reported in the district. The boy is out of danger and is responding to the treatment. However, there is no information on the boy piercing the leopard's eye."
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