Mathabhanga: One injured in leopard attack

Cooch Behar: A fresh leopard scare has gripped Mathabhanga after a man was seriously injured in a suspected leopard attack in the Shikarpur Gram Panchayat area under Mathabhanga Block I on Wednesday morning.

The injured, identified as Ganesh Barman, a resident of Shikarpur village, had gone to a nearby forested area to graze his cow when the incident occurred. Locals claim a leopard attacked him suddenly, leaving him with severe injuries to his head and eyes, with reports that the animal gouged out his eyes during the assault.

Hearing his cries, villagers rushed to the spot, rescued him, and took him to Mathabhanga Subdivisional Hospital for urgent treatment. Teams from Mathabhanga Police Station and the Forest department reached the location shortly after. However, forest personnel have not yet found any trace of the leopard. Search operations are continuing in and around the forested stretch. Bijan Nath, ADFO of the Cooch Behar Forest Division, said: “Our team inspected the area after receiving the information, but the leopard has not been sighted so far. The matter is under investigation.”

A relative of the victim, Ranjit Barman, said: “He had gone to graze a cow when the leopard attacked him. We rescued him and admitted him to the hospital.”

Just a few days ago, a leopard was captured in Mathabhanga, heightening concerns among residents. The Forest department has advised people not to venture out after evening until the situation stabilises.