Dibrugarh: A leopard critically injured a 12-year-old boy who had gone to collect vegetable fern near Nagabari village in Dibrugarh’s Khowang area on Saturday afternoon.The boy, identified as Pulak Gogoi, was first taken to a primary health centre and later shifted to Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), Dibrugarh.According to residents, Pulak and a nine-year-old boy entered a nearby jungle around 3 pm to collect dhekia when the leopard emerged from the vegetation and attacked him.The younger boy escaped by climbing a tree. Pulak suffered serious injuries, particularly to his face and ears. After the leopard fled into the jungle, the boy raised an alarm, following which villagers rescued Pulak.“Pulak was bleeding badly, especially from injuries on his face and ears. The other boy was terrified and immediately informed the villagers after the leopard fled,” a resident said.The attack triggered panic in Nagabari and adjoining areas, as the leopard was believed to be hiding in vegetation near the village. Forest guards launched an operation to drive it away and resorted to blank firing to prevent it from moving towards inhabited areas.Residents said people in the area frequently enter nearby forest patches to collect vegetables and other forest produce.
