Leopard on the loose: Video of big cat attacking car surfaces; 15 injured in Assam’s Jorhat

A leopard that has been on the loose in Jorhat, Assam, since Monday morning has reportedly attacked 15 people, including women, children, and forest officials, in separate incidents. The campus of the Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), which is on the periphery of Jorhat town, is where the majority of those hurt are from.

According to representatives of the forest department, the bog cat likely entered the campus in search of food from the nearby Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary. The leopard had not yet been tranquillized when the last reports arrived. According to Iqbal Ahmed, a forest range officer, "the leopard attacked two forest officials in the morning." The leopard was seen targeting a van carrying civilians after attacking a forest staff vehicle in a video that was recorded by forest officials.

According to a representative of the forest department, the animal would frequently change its location before straying into nearby villages during the night.

#leopard inside campus of RFRI, #Jorhat #Assam pic.twitter.com/3bQzhWDJK2

— Ibrahim (@Ibrahimrfr) December 26, 2022

The forest department asks residents to stay inside. The leopard reportedly escaped the RFRI in the evening and began attacking locals in nearby villages that were surrounded by tea gardens, according to DFO (in-charge) Jorhat Ranjit Kowar. “It has become very aggressive. We have laid traps inside the campus to capture it. Efforts are on to track it,” he said, according to TOI.

All campus residents have been urged to stay inside, Konwar continued. The official remarked that "some residents had a close shave as the leopard was roaming in their courtyards." According to him, m any of the hurt needed hospitalisation because they had been bit.

They currently appear to be safe. According to Purnima Barua, a hospital spokesperson, "but more people with injuries are coming to the Jorhat Medical College Hospital," who also noted that two children, a woman, and two forest officials were taken to a hospital at noon.

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