Two adults were critically injured besides two children, who sustained injuries, when a leopard attacked them near Kavetinage Palli village of Somandepalli mandal in Anantapur district.
The leopard, that apparently came to drink water from a nearby tank, attacked two children who were playing near the tank. As other children pelted stones at it, the leopard fled the place, an eyewitness told The Hindu . Later, it attacked a woman who was waiting for a bus on the outskirts of the village. Some villagers, who were present there at the time of attack, tried to kill the leopard using sticks. And in the process, it injured another person and ran into the nearby forest.
Anantapur DFO P.S. Raghaviah told The Hindu that the leopard may not have intended to kill anyone and must have just come to drink water. But because it was intimidated by the people, it must have attached them, else it’s not so difficult for a leopard to kill children.
The woman, who was critically injured, has lost lot of blood and was being shifted to the Anantapur General Hospital for better treatment, he said adding that the other injured were out of danger.
Mr. Raghaviah also said that all the injured were administered anti-rabies vaccine at Hindupur town itself as a precautionary measure.
According to forest officials, close to 60 leopards exist in the reserve forest areas of the district and Yerrakonda reserve forest in Penukonda ranges may have around 10 leopards. Lack of water in the forest areas, which are deciduous in nature and have less tree growth, forces the animals to enter human habitats in search of food and water.
