A 24-year-old man was mauled to death by a ‘maneater’ leopard at a hillock near Anegundi in Gagnavati taluk of Koppal district.
The mutilated body of Hulugesh, a cook at Adishakti Durgadevi Temple in Anegundi, was found at a hillock nearby on Thursday. Hulugesh went missing on Wednesday morning. The body, cut to pieces by the big cat, was found following a search by the temple staff and Forest personnel.
Forest Range Officer Shivraj told DH, “The leopard might have dragged Hulugesh away while he was defecating in the open at the hillock and mauled him to death on Wednesday morning. Last month, a leopard cub had attacked a nine-year-old boy from Hyderabad near the temple. We had caught that leopard. We had cautioned the temple staff and the residents not to venture near the hillock.
Meanwhile, Deputy Conservator of Forests Harsha Bhanu, along with the Forest Department staff, visited the spot on Thursday.
The forest department has installed eight trap cameras. Apart from placing two cages at the vantage points, a tamed elephant has been roped in to catch the elusive ‘maneater’ leopard.