Karnataka's Ramanagar witnesses third leopard attack in two weeks

Leaving Forest Department officials on their toes, yet another leopard attacked livestock in the wee hours of Monday at Katamaanadoddi in Ramanagar taluk. This is the third leopard attack in less than two weeks in the vicinity. On Sunday, forest officials had caught two leopards after a 62-year-old lady was mauled by a leopard on Saturday. Similarly, last week, a leopard had killed a three-year-old boy in Magadi taluk of Ramanagar district.

Also read — Hunt on for man-eater leopard after woman mauled to death

On Monday early morning at around 3:00 am, a leopard sneaked into Katamaanadoddi village and attacked a calf that was locked up inside a cattle pen.

Range Forest Officials revealed to DH that the cattle pen belonged to a farmer Desappa.

“The six-month-old calf has been severely injured and profusely bleeding from the neck. The leopard may have tried to drag the calf away. However, the family of the farmer disturbed by the weak bleating of the calf, switched on the lights, prompting the leopard to disappear into the dark,” an official said quoting villagers.

On Sunday, the forest officials had caught two leopards—a male and a female—near Sidaganapalya and Bodaganapalya. Following the killing of a 62-year-old at Kottagaanahalli village, a Forest Department personnel had kept cages at 11 places across Magadi taluk. Both the leopards were caught just a kilometre away from the spot of killing.

Similarly, the villagers from Dasappanapalya, four kilometres from the spot, had rescued two leopard cubs and handed them over to the Forest Department.