Human Wildlife Interaction Gone Wrong: Odisha Youth Kills Leopard In Self-Defence

Cuttack: A leopard died, and a 28-year-old man was critically injured in a late-night human-animal encounter in the Narsinghpur area of Cuttack district, triggering panic among residents of nearby villages. 

The incident occurred on Friday night at a farmhouse in Anantaprasad village under the Narsinghpur West Forest Range of the Athgarh division. 

The victim, identified as Subhranshu Bhol, was alone at the property when the predator strayed into the residential premises.

According to initial reports, the leopard allegedly entered the farmhouse of Subhranshu Bhol, where he was present at the time. 

The intrusion was detected when the family's pet dogs started barking, alerting the household to the animal's presence. 

While the leopard died on the spot from fatal stab wounds, the youth sustained critical injuries and is currently battling for his life at a hospital in Cuttack.

Struggle for Survival

According to local reports, the intrusion was detected when the family's pet dogs started barking, alerting the household to the animal's presence. The dogs initially confronted the leopard, after which the animal reportedly attacked the youth.

In an attempt to defend himself, the youth allegedly fought with the leopard. During the confrontation, the animal sustained fatal stab wounds and subsequently died on the spot. 

The youth suffered serious injuries to his head and other parts of his body and was given immediate medical attention before being shifted to Cuttack for advanced treatment.

The wild animal immediately jumped at him, dragging him to the floor. Subhranshu sustained deep claw and bite wounds to his head, chest, and arms. 

According to the father, the youth had locked himself inside the house for safety after the struggle.

He managed to reach for a vegetable knife lying nearby. He stabbed the leopard repeatedly until the animal weakened and eventually succumbed to its injuries.

Besides the injuries, significant damage was also caused to property and a vehicle at the farmhouse during the incident.

Emergency Response

The victim's father, Sudarshan Bhol, stated that he received an emergency call from his son between 12:30 AM and 1:00 AM, requesting him to arrange an ambulance and reach the farmhouse immediately. 

He mentioned that his son had asked him not to inform his mother about the incident. According to the father, the youth had locked himself inside the house for safety after the struggle.

Upon reaching the spot, the family found the leopard lying dead and Subhranshu in a critical condition. 

He was rushed to a local hospital before being referred to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for advanced treatment.

Forest Department Investigation

Forest officials started an investigation. “We got information in a farmhouse at Ananta Prasad village that a leopard attacked a youth after a fight between a human and wildlife took place, where the leopard was dead, and the youth was critically injured. In self-defence, the youth was engaged in a struggle with the leopard.The joint task force (JTF) team will reach the spot, and after that, in the presence of the RCCF, the inquiry will be held, and the postmortem will be done on the leopard."

This incident has triggered widespread panic among residents in nearby villages. 

The incident has sparked concerns about increasing human-animal conflicts in forest areas, as leopards and other predators continue to stray into human habitations in search of prey.

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