A wild leopard killed a woman near Bada Chadhia Padaunder Kavisuryanagar police station limits in Ganjam district of Odisha on Monday. The leopard created havoc in the area till afternoon. It chased police havildar Subas Adhikari, who climbed up a tree to escape the big cat.
According to inspector in-charge of the Kavisuryanagar station, S.L.K. Prasad, the havildar was rescued by a team of forest and police officials only after the leopard had left the spot. Kama Sahu (50) had gone to her vegetable field at the foothills of Jamunagiri, along with her eight-year-old grandson, when the leopard pounced on her. The animal grievously injured Ms. Sahu resulting in her death. However, the boy escaped unhurt.
On receipt of information, forest officials led by local Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ramesh Chandra Sethi rushed to the spot. As a measure of precaution, they cordoned off the area.
A team of experts from the Nandankanan Zoological Park would visit the place to take stock of the situation and to capture the animal if needed, the DFO said.
Forest officials found pugmarks of a mature leopard, the first intrusion of one in the area in the recent past. It is believed that the animal had come from the Paikajamuna forest in search of prey.
