A leopard that mauled 11 people in a fierce showdown with villagers and forest officials, in the Indian town of Prakash Nagar, West Bengal, has died of knife wounds after being captured. It’s been reported that the animal was also stoned by villagers after forest officials had eventually managed to subdue the panicked animal.

Villagers from the densely-populated slum village, which is home to about 3 000 people, watched in terror as a wild leopard that had ventured from the nearby forest began attacking people.

The wild cat attacked a woman and was later witnessed pouncing on men, including a forest department employee.

Villagers had climbed onto roofs surrounding an open area with dense trees to escape and watch as guards attempted to dart the large male.

Kanchan Banerjee, a forest ranger from the Sukna Wildlife Range, told local newspaper, The Hindu:

With the villagers trying to chase it, it tried to flee and injured five villagers in the process.

In total the animal injured six villagers, a policeman and four forest guards before being hit with a tranquiliser gun.

Some earlier reports had suggested that the animal had been released back into the forest after being restrained, but forest official Dharma Dev Rai said villagers used knives, stones and batons to beat the big cat back, and it later died at a nearby veterinary clinic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0azDEzXQHg

The attack has sparked yet another renewed call for the local populations living in the more remote areas to be taught how to handle such situations.

Officials have said that if a clear escape path for the animal to exit the village had been made, then the leopard may still be alive and fewer people may have been injured.

Check out this gallery of the attack:

[Thanks Trev]

[Source: Sky]