NUAPADA: Panic gripped residents of Dharambandha panchayat in Nuapada district after reports of a leopard killing a person and critically injuring a minor on Friday and Saturday respectively, came to the fore.
The deceased was identified as 45-year-old Rameswari Majhi of Silaribahara village adjoining Sunabeda sanctuary. Majhi was mauled to death on Friday while she had gone to answer nature’s call in a nearby forest. When she did not return home, her family searched for her and found her mutilated body in the forest and informed local police and forest officials.
Dharambandha IIC Tankagiri Bhoi said the leopard had decapitated the woman. “The body has been seized and sent for postmortem,” he added. In another instance, the big cat attacked an eight-year-old boy in Kodopali village while he was playing in front of his house on Saturday. The boy received critical injuries on his right ear and chest in the incident but was, however, rescued by the locals.
Nuapada Territorial Divisional Forest Officer Susheel K Tripathy said they had visited the two sites to take stock of the situation. “Trap cameras are being installed to trace the movement of the leopard and microphone announcements made to ask people to be careful. Efforts are underway to divert the leopard from human habitation,” he added.
The DFO informed that the deceased’s family would get Rs 6 lakh compensation of which Rs 60,000 has already been paid. Earlier on Monday, a 7-year-old boy was killed by a leopard at Katingpani village inside Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary.