Leopard attacks 2 farmers in Pilibhit, panic grips villagers

A leopard attacked two farmers when they were working on the sugarcane field in Pilibhit. The injured farmers are currently undergoing treatment in the hospital.

Pilibhit: Panic gripped the villagers of Santoshpura in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit after a leopard attacked and injured two persons, officials said. A forest department team reached the spot and is currently monitoring the situation. The leopard first attacked a farmer and when villagers tried to chase it away, it attacked another farmer.

A 40-year-old farmer, Dorilal was attacked by the leopard while he was working on the sugarcane field. Dorilal was digging the field when the leopard came out from the bushes and attacked him from behind. Dorilal fell on the ground and started calling out for help. His daughter, Gomti, who accompanied him to the field every morning, was working some distance away. She heard her father's screams and rushed towards him. Displaying an exceptional courage, she chased away the leopard with a stick, forest department sources said.

Meanwhile, the villagers had gathered outside the field after hearing that the leopard was sighted in the area. On seeing the crowd, the leopard headed towards the village and attacked another farmer, named Harishankar. After which, the leopard disappeared into the wild. Both Dorilal and Harishankar have been admitted to the hospital and are currently undergoing treatment.

After getting information about the incident, the forest department team reached the spot and is searching for the leopard. The villagers have been assured that the leopard would be caught very soon, officials said. DFO of Social Forestry Sanjeev Kumar said that a case of leopard attack on villagers has come to the fore. A team has been sent to the spot for monitoring the ground situation.