A leopard strayed into Pagra village, adjacent to buffer zone of Panna Tiger Reserve and injured four people, including Dr Sanjiv Kumar, two forest guards and a villager, on Friday morning. The leopard, a two and half year old male sneaked in the village from Amanganj forest circle of Panna Tiger Reserve on Thursday and kept villagers as well as forest officials on toes. Rescue team from Panna Tiger Reserve failed to tranquillise it or capture through net as it attacked the rescue team as well.

 

Meena Mishra, District Forest Officer (DFO), Panna South, said, “Rescue operation is being conducted by the team from Panna Tiger Reserve. The tiger attacked doctor and two other field guards. The team is assigned there and continuo monitoring is being done to catch the leopard. We have also called the police team to keep the crowd away.”

People residing in village Pagra are literally scared and spending sleepless night. According to forest officials, the leopard strayed into the village on Thursday evening and attacked villager Ratan Patel. Leaving him injured, the leopard entered his house. Large number of people crowded the spot and being scared of the crowd, leopard ran towards a nulla and escaped under a tree.

 

Villagers informed the incident to forest officials and rescue team from Panna Tiger Reserve was called to control the situation. Rescue team members started their strategy to catch the leopard by tranquillising through gun but the annoyed leopard attacked two forest guards and injured them badly. Then leopard jumped into a dry well and when the rescue team reached the well, leopard attached the veterinary Dr Sanjiv Gupta. The crow surrounded the area but leopard ran away and escaped successfully. Dr Gupta is admitted to the hospital for further treatment. Till writing of this report, rescue operation was going on.