Leopard mauls farmer, captured by villagers in Gudibande

A 50-year-old farmer was mauled by a leopard when he was out in the field grazing his cattle in Kerenahalli in Gudibande taluk in the district on Tuesday morning.

Ramakrishnappa, who sustained grievous injuries in the attack, was rushed to the Gudibande hospital for treatment. A week ago, the villagers had informed the Forest Department about three leopards prowling around the Varlakonda Hill. Though the department placed a cage to trap the leopard, no other action was taken to trap the big cat.

Around 11.30 am on Tuesday, Ramakrishnappa headed out to his farm with his cattle in tow when he was set upon by a leopard, which clawed both his face and shoulders. However, the villagers were successful in grabbing the leopard following the attack on Ramakrishnappa on Tuesday.

The locals are upset with the Forest Department following the incident, attributing the leopard’s attack on Ramakrishnappa to the officials’ apathy. The residents of villages in the vicinity of Varlakonda Hill are anxious following the sighting of leopards. Furthermore, footage from drone cameras has confirmed that leopards are on the prowl in the area.

Chikkaballapur Deputy Conservator of Forests H C Girish said that while the big cat was sighted over the last one week, there was no negative interaction with the people.

“There were no reports of sheep or cattle being killed or injured. However, the attack on the farmer angered the villagers. We rescued the animal in the nick of time,” he said.

Dr Anand V M, a veterinarian at Bannerghatta Biological Park who treated the animal in Chikkaballapur, said the male leopard, aged about 2-3 years, suffered an injury when it was being captured by the villagers. “We will keep it under observation for some time before deciding on its release,” he added.