5 injured in leopard attack in Una

Our Correspondent

Una, November 20

Recently a leopard attacked five persons of a family in Dhundla village of Bangana sub-division in Una district before being captured by the Forest department officials.

Dhundla resident Sukh Dev Singh, an ex-serviceman, said he was filling a bucket of water from the tap located in the courtyard of his house at about 6 am when the big cat pounced on him. He said he immediately raised an alarm and in response the other members of the family rushed to the spot.

The leopard injured four others, including two-and-a-half year old child Gaurav. Sukh Dev said they closed the door after the leopard entered inside the room, trapping him. Panchayat pradhan was informed, who informed the police and forest officials.

The injured persons, including Sukh Dev Singh, Sudesh Kumari, Dinesh, Vandana and Gaurav were shifted to the Community Health Centre at Bangana. While Sukh Dev Singh and Vandana were further referred to the Una district hospital, the other three were discharged from the Bangana health institution after giving treatment.

Like all previous leopard attacks in the district, this time too lack of a tranquilising gun with the divisional forest department was acutely felt.

The gun, along with sedative darts and a cage was requisitioned from the Hamirpur Forest Division, which reached Dhundla after about two hours. Tranquilising darts were fired at the animal from the windows. Divisional Forest Officer Yashu Deep Singh said the sedated three-year-old female leopard was put into the cage and sent to the Gopalpur zoo in Kangra district.