Leopard attack ruled out

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, February 12

After three persons were attacked allegedly by a leopard in Pinjore on Friday night, forest officials have claimed that it was not a leopard attack. Their investigation suggests that some other wild animal, probably a badger, attacked the victims. While two of the three victims said it was a “dog-like animal”, the third one said it was a leopard.

The Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Panchkula, ML Rajvanshi, said, “A team surveyed the area last night and today, but no leopard was seen and no pug marks were found in the area. However, the team is still on the job, and if it was a leopard, we will trace it.” He said, “People panic in such situations and must have thought it was a leopard.

Two of the victims, Suresh Kumar (45), a street vendor, and Iqbal (25), an auto-rickshaw driver, received treatment in Panchkula and are fine now. However, the third victim, six-year-old Chandni, is said to be in a critical condition and is admitted to the GMCH, Sector 32, Chandigarh. Harmesh, a resident of the area, says, “The forest is less than a kilometre away from this locality and some people claim to have seen the leopard even last night.”

An inspector of the Forest Department, who surveyed the area in Pinjore along with a team, said the nature of injuries suggested that it was not a leopard but a badger. Leopards generally do not go near human beings and attack them without being provoked, and even if they do, they target the neck area.