KURNOOL: Panic ensued among devotees on the outskirts of Srisailam temple town when a leopard was spotted and killed a dog near the temple’s toll gate on Wednesday night. The wild cat killed the dog and dragged it into the forest, where the devotees nearby captured the incident on their mobile phones.
Upon learning about the incident, the forest officials swiftly responded and taking precautionary measures to safely rescue the leopard and ensure the safety of local residents.
Just the previous night, a leopard was sighted near Mahanandi and tried to attack a tribal man who narrowly escaped. Reports indicate that around 20 leopards have been spotted in and around the ring road of the temple town recently, causing ongoing concern among devotees.
Similar incidents have occurred in the vicinity, such as at Mahanandi temple, where a woman was fatally attacked by a leopard at Pacharla, and three others were injured in separate incidents within the Mahanandi limits over the past month.
Forest Range Officer V Narasimhulu assured there is no immediate threat to devotees from leopards as these incidents occur within forest zones. He emphasised that leopards typically do not pose a danger to humans unless provoked. Precautionary measures are being implemented to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts.