Darjeeling: "Tiger" fought back bravely and chased away a leopard thereby saving a 57-year-old woman.
The incident occurred at Sonada, 16 km from Darjeeling. Aruna Lama, the victim, has suffered 20 stitches on right side of her forehead and around five on her cheeks. She has also suffered bruises. At present Lama is recouping at the Darjeeling Sadar Hospital. "We had heard the hens clucking and gone to the shed to see what was wrong late at night on Wednesday. In the dark shed we saw a pair of glowing eyes. We immediately knew it was a leopard. The leopard attacked my mother," stated Smrity, the victim's daughter. The family pet dog "Tiger" charged at the leopard. The fight continued and after some time Tiger, the four-year-old mongrel managed to chase away the leopard. Aruna was rushed to the Sonada Primary Health Centre from where she was referred to the Darjeeling Sadar Hospital.
Her condition is reported to be stable. The forest department officials made a round of the locality and will be setting a leopard trap. It is common for leopards to enter villages on the fringes of forests in search of livestock that are easy prey.