Lucknow: A 20-year-old youth was seriously injured after a leopard attacked him outside his house in the Katarniaghat forest area of Bahraich late Sunday night. The victim fought the animal for nearly 5 minutes before villagers rushed to his rescue.The incident occurred in Bhattabargad Purwa village. According to local residents, Tulsi Ram (20) was walking outside his house around 9:30 pm on Sunday when a leopard suddenly emerged from nearby fields and attacked him. The youth raised an alarm and struggled with the leopard for several minutes. Hearing his cries, family members and villagers rushed to the spot, forcing the animal to retreat back into the fields. Tulsi Ram sustained serious injuries during the attack, including a deep claw wound on his head. He was taken to the Primary Health Centre in Sujauli. The divisional forest officer said forest teams were alerted, and villagers were advised to remain cautious. Villagers of nearby Azamgarh Purwa said a female leopard was repeatedly spotted roaming near the village with her three cubs, increasing fear among residents. The fear intensified after a tragic incident on Friday night when a leopard entered a house in Azamgarh Purwa village and dragged away a 7-year-old boy, Raghuveer. The child’s body was later found in a nearby field. Forest officials said the leopard again entered the deceased child’s house on Sunday night, but villagers managed to drive it away by raising an alarm. Range officer Surendra Srivastava said a cage has been installed to trap the leopard.
