In yet another case of a leopard straying into Mysore, a 60-year-old man was attacked and injured at N.R. Mohalla in the early hours of Friday. The animal was captured by the Forest Department staff and released into Sunkadakatte forests in the Nagarahole National Park in the afternoon.
The attack
The injured man was identified as Abdul Rehman Pasha, who was coming out of his house at 6.30 a.m. The leopard, a male, lurking behind a few autorickshaws parked on the roadside, is said to have jumped at Pasha on seeing him.
Pasha suffered injuries in the head as he fell down, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Devaraj told The Hindu . Pasha was then shifted to the K.R. Hospital. He is stated to be out of danger.
The Deputy Commissioner's control room alerted the Forest officials as soon as the leopard was spotted in N.R. Mohalla. Though veterinarian Ramesh and sharpshooter Akram Pasha accompanied by the territorial wing staff of the department rushed to the spot, they could not be find the animal. The department received another telephone call from the Office of the Police Commissioner around noon stating that the leopard had been spotted near a bush at the Doddammatayi temple in the N.R. Mohalla limits.
It was then tranquilised by Akram Pasha. A nylon net was used to capture the animal, Mr. Devaraj said.
The animal was taken to the Mysore zoo for treatment and shifted to the Sunkadakatte range forests in the afternoon. The animal was robust and said to be five years old.
Leopard breeding
Leopard breeding was rampant in the sugarcane fields in and around Mysore, Mr. Devaraj said. They were found in the Chamundi Hills and Varuna areas too. Easy availability of stray dogs in the peripheral areas and waste food thrown around prompted the animals to stray into the city, he said.
