BENGALURU: A 60-year-old man is suspected to have died in a leopard attack in Kalludevanhalli village in Magadi, around 30km from Ramanagara. The deceased has been identified as Shivaswamy, a resident of the village who served as a priest and a farmer by profession.
Local residents said he was attacked by a leopard when he went to pick flowers from his field around 6am on Monday. However, forest officials said they would wait for the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report to confirm the cause of Shivaswamy’s death.
They said there are leopard claw attack marks on his legs. But there is a slit wound around the left side of his neck. However, there are no signs of the leopard biting any other part of the body, drawing blood or the animal dragging the body.
The location where the incident took place is surrounded by forest areas, such as Magadi forest, Kunigal reserve forest, Gattapuri minor forest and Chakkarabavi minor forest. Ramanagara and the surrounding areas are known for the presence of leopards and the local residents regularly report leopard sightings.
The forest officials also admitted that they receive at least five complaints of leopards preying on cattle. The last human death in a leopard attack in the region was reported in 2018-19, the officials said. “The cause of death – whether it is a leopard attack as complained by his family members and local residents – is being investigated,” said a forest officer.