M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Sept 25: An adult leopard attacked a 53-year-old tracker Suryanath Yadav in the soft release centre of the sambhars under the Bareysanr range of the tiger reserve’s South division early Sunday morning.
Speaking to lagatar24.com, Yadav said that it was around six in the morning when a leopard attacked him and injured his left hand.
Notably, Yadav was on the patrol in the soft release centre of the sambhars when the sudden attack took place. The tracker further said that the stick in his hand used to tame the animals was insufficient to ward off the leopard.
On being asked how the leopard was able to sneak in the soft release centre despite net and barbed wire all around, the tracker said, “I am equally surprised as to how the leopard got into the soft release centre.”
Yadav said that he had no idea if the leopard has prayed on a sambhar yet. The tracker was taken down to the referral hospital at Garu for treatment by Dr J P Sahu. Dr Sahu informed that the tracker required 10 stitches on his left forearm. He said anti rabies injection was also administered to the victim. Yadav would require four more anti rabies shots. An anti tetanus shot was also administered.
Deputy director South division, tiger reserve Mukesh Kumar said that he directed ranger Garu west, Tarun Kumar Singh to rush to the soft release centre of the sambhars under the Bareysanr range and take all measures to drive out the leopard from the enclosure of the sambhars.
There are 18 sambhars in this soft release centre, reminded Mukesh Kumar. Furthermore, ranger Tarun Kumar Singh said, “I am monitoring the situation. I have not taken over the charge of the Bareysanr range till date.”
Tarun said that an alert has been sounded in the soft release centre where trackers have been asked remain extra vigilant. High sounding crackers have been rushed to Bareysanr to shoo away the leopard.
He said that leopard goes behind the bushes and shrubs in situations like this when men are out looking for it.
Notably, this is the first instance when a carnivore like a leopard has sneaked into the soft release centre of the sambhars here. It is also the first episode where a leopard has injured a tracker.
The sambhars were brought here from the Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, Ranchi way back in 2016-17. A sambhar was killed earlier in the year 2017 after it was bitten by a cobra. Another sambhar died in an internecine fight among them.
