Leopard Attack in Kheda: Four Youth Injured at Udhamatpura Canal

Kheda | Gujarat — Four youth were injured after a man-eater leopard attacked them at the Udhamatpura canal in Thasra taluka of Kheda district in Gujarat. The villagers went to search for the leopard after receiving news about his presence near the Udhamatpura canal. The predator suddenly came out of the bushes and leaped onto a youth standing on the canal, causing a stampede-like situation among the villagers. 

A video has gone viral where the leopard is seen leaping onto a youth and attacking him, while some youths jumped into the canal to escape. After the attack, the leopard escaped into the bushes again, and the forest department has started an exercise to catch it by placing two cages.

Sources said that  a leopard was seen near the canal on the way to Jalanagar from Udhamatpura in Thasra taluka. However, the village youths went to the canal on Tuesday to investigate and see the leopard. At this time, the surrounding villagers also gathered, and a large crowd gathered around the canal. People were searching for the leopard on both sides of the canal. Meanwhile, the leopard suddenly came out of the bushes and ran towards the crowd, causing a stampede among the people.

The injured have been identified as Vinubhai Rathod, Arjunbhai Talpada, Praveshkumar Parmar and Jayeshbhai Parmar. The victims of the leopard’s attack were shifted for treatment in the government hospital. Arjunbhai Talpada was the most injured and was shifted to Nadiad Civil Hospital for further treatment.

Locals were shocked when the leopard did not reach the cage

On being informed of this incident, a team of the forest department reached the spot. The forest department has set up cages in the border area to catch the leopard and an exercise has been started to catch it, however, the leopard has not yet reached the cage, causing panic among the locals.

We were standing and suddenly a leopard came: Kanubhai Parmar

A local of the village, Kanubhai Parmar, said that around 1:30 pm, we came to know that a leopard had come to the border of Udhampura village. After that, when we reached the border of the village, we saw the leopard. Since there were a large number of people, the leopard was trying to leave. During that time, there were four or five men on the side where the leopard came out, and it attacked them. These four men were sent to the government hospital. After that, the leopard kept going towards the embankment of a large canal.

The Kheda District Forest Officer has asked people to be careful of leopards in a video. He has given instructions, especially not to go out unnecessarily in the border area, not to let children out of the house and not to sleep near cattle tied up outside.

About three years ago, Bharatbhai Gopalbhai Gohel had gone to graze goats in the Haldharwas farm near Muwadi Hathnoli in Jhabani, when he heard a sound coming from the bushes and the leopard attacked him. Bharatbhai suffered injuries on his hand and leg. The injured Bharatbhai was taken to the Haldharwas Health Center for treatment. Later, the leopard was rescued by the Forest Department.