Mandya: An eight-year-old leopard that had strayed into a house in Mudanahalli village of KR Pet taluk of Mandya district, in the early hours of Thursday, February 9, injuring an elderly couple, was captured by the forest department.
Farmer Ningegowda, 71, and his wife Gauramma, 58, had not locked the front door before sleeping. There was a cattle shed at their home with few cows and goats. The big cat, spotted in the area earlier too, sneaked into the village to hunt sheep.
The big cat attacked and injured both hands of Gauramma and then attacked and injured face of Ningegowda who came to Gauramma's rescue. Gauramma hit on the leopard's head with a stick, and the couple rushed out of the house. Hearing their screams, neighbours rushed to their help and shifted them to hospital.
Unaware of leopard hiding in the house, the forest officials who went inside the house for spot inspection, were shocked to realise the presence of leopard in the house. Surprisingly it had sat quietly amid the cows and goats at the home after killing one goat. They immediately came out and locked the house.
After an operation by a team of 30 members they rescued the leopard around 12.15pm on Thursday, according to KRPet Range Forest Officer H S Gangadhar.
Gangadhar added that while the couple were shifted to hospital, none went near the house to lock it properly. Followed by information from villagers, the forest officials who went to the house in the morning, found the leopard inside the house. Team from Bandipur shot tranquiliser and shifted it to the cage.
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