Leopard kills boy at Male Mahadeshwara Hills

The victim’s mother, blamed the authorities for her son’s death.

Male Mahadeshwara Hills: The safety of the pilgrims, trekking to the ancient Nagamale shrine near Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills in Hanur taluk has reached a nadir, as a leopard mauled a young boy to death during the early hours of Sunday.

Harshit (10), son of Suresh and Pavithra, residents of Kamakshipalya of Bengaluru, died in the leopard attack near Nagamale in Cauvery Wildlife Division, Kollegal taluk, close to MM Hills, on Sunday.

The leopard dragged the child for 50 meters, and attacked his neck, killing him on the spot.

Harshit was walking toward the Nagamale shrine, along with his family members, when the leopard pounced on him and dragged him into the forest. Despite frequent reports of leopard sightings and attacks on these paths, the Forest department and the MM Swamy Kshetra Development Authority have drawn flak for failing to deploy adequate security personnel.

Not new

This tragedy follows a string of similar incidents. On January 21, Praveen from Mandya district’s Cheeranahalli died in a leopard attack while trekking to the hills. On February 10, Shreyas (8) from Channapatna was injured in another attack. Despite these recurring incidents, pilgrims allege that the departments concerned have shown absolute apathy toward public safety.

Negligence alleged

Nagamale is a significant pilgrimage site, and most devotees visiting MM Hills trek the 3 km stretch from Indiganatta village to reach it, as the path is inaccessible for vehicles.

Devotees and trekkers are charged Rs 200 per head by the Forest department, while private vehicle drivers fleece an additional Rs 100 to transport them from MM Hills to Indiganatta village. "Even after collecting these fees, there are no security guards on the path, no information centers, and not even basic drinking water facilities,” pilgrims allege.

The victim’s mother, Pavithra, in a state of shock, blamed the authorities for her son’s death. “Neither the drivers nor the forest staff warned us about the movement of wild animals there. There are no warning boards on the route. If there were guards on the walking path, my son’s life could have been saved,” she cried, demanding punishment for the negligent officials.

No basic amenities

Pilgrims noted that the fee collection has become rampant at places like the Palar checkpost under the guise of entry fees, but the revenue is not being utilised for devotee safety. The lack of warning signs and the absence of a dedicated surveillance team on the route have turned a journey of faith into a death trap for many, they said.

Ban

Conservator of Forest, Chamarajanagar circle, Malathi Priya has ordered to ban pilgrims from climbing MM Hills via step way temporarily. Now Pilgrims have to take KSRTC bus from Taalu Betta to MM Hills. There is a temporary ban on trekking to Nagamale also.

Combing

Officials of the Forest department, along with personnel of the Leopard Task Force, have taken up a combing operation and are using about three drones to trace and rescue the leopard, so that no such tragedy is repeated, Malathi Priya said.