Leopard kills elderly woman in T Narasipur; third casualty in 3 months

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Mysuru: After a month of calm, an elderly woman was killed by a leopard in T Narasipur taluk of Mysuru district on Friday. With this, the total number of deaths due to leopard attacks has gone up to three.

Previously, two youngsters lost their lives after being mauled by leopards. The latest victim has been identified as Siddamma, 60 years, a resident of Kannanayakanahalli village in T Narasipur taluk. The incident occurred when she went into a forest patch to fetch firewood.

The leopard is said to have pounced on her. On hearing her cries for help, villagers shouted loudly to scare away the big cat. Though the leopard fled the spot, the old woman succumbed to injuries the wild animal inflicted on her.

This incident has brought to the fore the presence of leopards in the taluk despite the Forest Department launching an operation to nab them. After the second incident, the people of T Narasipur had staged a protest in front of the offices of the tahsildar and the Forest department, protesting against the failure to capture leopards.

Following pressure by the elected representatives, the PCCF & CWW had given permission to shoot them on sight. Personnel of the Forest department are also using drones to locate hiding leopards. Recently, one leopard was nabbed and shifted to the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

The killing of the elderly woman has once again angered local people who have threatened to launch a stir if their habitat is not cleared of all leopards “immediately”. People are scared to venture out after three persons have been killed by leopards