Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 26 : Eight people, including three minors, were injured following an attack by a leopard in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh.
Those injured in the attack have been identified as Salamun (40), Hakim (75), Afsar (70), Saiyyad Khan (24), along with three minors.
Additionally, a 21-year-old forest watcher, Rahul, was also injured while attempting to set up a trap cage.
All the injured have been admitted to the city's medical college and are receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, the Forest Department team also arrived at the scene upon receiving the news and has launched a search operation to locate and rescue the leopard.
Meanwhile, Salamun was cutting leaves in a banana field in Hamirpur Khairatiya village, under the Ramgaon police station area, when a leopard hiding there attacked her, leaving her seriously injured.
When locals rushed to her aid after hearing her cries, the leopard attacked and injured six other people in quick succession, spreading terror throughout the locality.
Recounting the incident, the injured forest watcher said that the leopard, which was in a nearby canal, grabbed his head in its jaws as he stepped down to install the cage.
An injured minor said, "The leopard was in the banana field. We all went to the field. It came from behind and attacked us. There were seven or eight people."
An eyewitness, Abdul Qadir, shared that his brother, being the head of the village (Pradhan), was in continuous contact with the administration after the attack. The rescue teams arrived about an hour and a half later.
"My brother is the village head named Abdul Kadhar, also known as Pappu bhai. A leopard attacked in our village. First, a woman went to the banana field to cut leaves, and the leopard attacked her. She screamed, and the people from the area rushed to save her. Then, it attacked at least seven people. Pappu was constantly talking to the administration and the rescue team. After that, the rescue team arrived about an hour and a half later. I have received an update that the rescue team is currently conducting a rescue operation there," he said.
Another injured, Sayyed Khan added, "The village head came at 7:00 AM, or around 7:30 AM. He made a phone call, and the police arrived. They stood there. The leopard attacked me at 8:00 AM, and the forest department team arrived around 11:30 AM," he said.
SK Verma, a doctor at the city's medical college, stated that seven victims of the wildlife attack were brought to the hospital; all have been admitted and are being treated by a dedicated medical team.
DFO Sundaresha stated that a team was immediately dispatched to the site upon receiving information about the incident, and a rescue team has been deployed to the location.
A cage has also been set up to capture the leopard. It will be caught soon. All villagers have been advised to remain alert, the DFO said.