5-year-old boy survives leopard attack after two-week battle in Pune hospital

Mumbai: A five-year-old boy, who was critically injured after a leopard attack in the Ahilyanagar district, miraculously survived after battling for his life for two weeks in a hospital in Pune.

The boy, Nimish, is now doing fine and leading a normal life, the family members and the Surya Hospital, Pune said on Thursday.

According to Nimish’s mother Revati Shinde, he was playing outside with other children in their village in Shevgaon tehsil near Sangamner, nestled in the Western Ghats, when the leopard suddenly emerged from the nearby forest.

"When the leopard came, everyone ran to hide inside their homes. All the children managed to escape, but my son was too young to understand. He just stood still,” she said, recalling the nightmare.

“The wild cat pounced on my son, and held my son with his neck, biting his head, thigh, and ear, leaving deep wounds. I myself physically removed the leopard’s jaws from my son’s neck. Nobody else came to save him,” she said recalling the incident.

Nimish was rushed to Pravara Medical Hospital for immediate first aid and wound care, as he bled profusely from his wounds and went comatose.

Given the severity, he was soon transferred to Surya Hospital in Pune, on September 11, where a multidisciplinary team of seven doctors from Pediatric Intensive Care, Plastic Surgery, Ophthalmology, and ENT departments took over his care.

Nimish was discharged on 26 September - and underwent several follow-ups with doctors and is now okay.

“When Nimish arrived, his condition was beyond critical,” said Dr. Sachin Shah, Director- Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Services.

“The leopard had torn through the delicate skin of his head, face, and ears, leaving deep and extensive wounds. His tiny body had gone into complete trauma and went into a coma. Infections had spread rapidly through his system, and we began to see his organs fail one after another. His nervous system and blood circulation were collapsing, and he had even developed acute kidney injury. It was a death-like state for a five-year-old. The odds were completely stacked against us, but our team refused to give up. We drew strength from the little boy lying before us, fighting valiantly for his life,” said Shah.

Another senior doctor Amita Kaul, HOD and senior consultant Paediatrics, who was part of the treatment team, added, “Our approach had to be completely multidimensional. Our team of plastic surgeons worked on reconstructing the parts of his scalp, face, and ears that the leopard tore apart. ENT and eye specialists managed his ear perforation and internal bleeding in the eyes. He was on life support for about seven days. We also administered immediate rabies medicine and tetanus, given the high-risk nature of the bite. Due to the profuse bleeding from the wounds, the patient also required multiple blood transfusions. Later, due to the young age of the patient, Nimish also experienced episodes of confusion and restlessness, which had to be carefully managed.”

Nimish, however, beat all odds and emerged as a healthy boy within two weeks of the treatment, without any long term health repercussions.

The incident throws light on the growing concern of rising leopard attacks in Maharashtra.