Man v/s big cat: Clashes leave leopard dead, 2 injured

In a clash with villagers of the Kuntichapada hamlet of Nanashi village in Nashik, a leopard was killed, while 2 men were injured.

The incident happened on Wednesday, and according to villagers and forest officials, the animal was first spotted by farmer Kisan Zamru Bhoye, who was going to his farm. When he saw the leopard among the bushes, he was afraid it might attack his cattle and made noises to distract and make it flee.

However, the animal got frightened by the noise and attacked Bhoye, injuring his head and hands. Soon, villagers rushed to help him and rescued Bhoye from the clutches from the wild animal.

The big cat then ran away and took shelter in shrubs nearby. Meanwhile, as news of the beast's presence spread, more villagers, forest officials and police converged around its hiding spot.

Owing to the stones and sticks being brandished, and the noise created by the crowd, the leopard made attempts to attack them, and jumped out of the shrubs at times.

In the conflict, the leopard attacked another person, which was followed by a series of blows from the villagers. The animal then tried to run away, but dropped unconscious.

The big cat was then picked up by the villagers and handed over to forest officials, who took him to the veterinary hospital in Nashik. However, the animal died on the way there, and was declared dead in the hospital.

In the meanwhile, the two injured were given first aid at the Nanashi primary health centre and then shifted to a civic hospital in Nashik, where they are being treated for their wounds.

Villagers said that the leopard could have been saved had it been for some patient handling by the mob and timely response by the forest department.