Leopard kills Dibrugarh woman, clobbered by mob

DIBRUGARH: A 70-year old woman was killed and several others injured by a leopard at Majkopouhuwa village in Naharkatia Jeypore area of Dibrugarh district here on Friday. The animal was later bludgeoned to death by angry locals with sticks and sharp weapons after an intensive chase.

According to reports, the victim identified as Makon Gogoi was combing her hair in the front yard of her house in the morning when a leopard appeared out of nowhere and pounced on her. The woman was taken to the local hospital with deep neck injuries but could not be saved.

Hundreds of locals, armed with sticks and machettes, then went in search of the big cat. The leopard suddenly emerged from the tea bushes and attacked the search group injuring five of them. Three locals, identified as Pradip Gogoi, Jitu Gogoi and Upen Gogoi, were seriously injured and admitted to the hospital. Two other persons also suffered minor injuries in the attack.

Following the incident, the agitated local people clashed with forest staff when they arrived at the village. According to locals, the leopard has been preying on their livestock for the past one month.

According to wildlife experts, leopards, unlike other carnivores, live on the fringe areas of forests. Due to fast shrinking of forest cover, the sprawling tea gardens situated close to forest areas often act as temporary dwelling places for the big cats. The loss of their natural habitats often compels the leopards to venture into human settlements in search of food.