Maharashtra: Attack by ‘wild animal’ in Mukundwadi area sparks panic

AURANGABAD: A man, who got injured on Saturday night, claimed that he was attacked by an unidentified wild animal in Mukundwadi area of the city.
The incident has sparked panic in the area, prompting the forest department to deploy a team in the area for further investigation.
Range Forest Officer (territorial) Dadasaheb Taur on Sunday said the man could not see the animal that attacked him in the dark near a railway line.
“We have collected the pug marks from the area, but have failed to identify the animal as there was a lot of mud. After a detailed probe, it would be confirmed which animal was involved in the attack,” he said.
Some local residents have also alleged that the wild animal has killed a couple of stray dogs in the area, leading to speculation that it could be a leopard.
Honorary wildlife warden for Aurangabad Kishor Pathak said the wild animal could be a leopard or hyena. “The probe in the incident, however, can confirm it is a case of man-animal conflict. The locals need not to panic and avoid venturing in the dark during night hours,” he said.
Pathak said construction of different highways in and around Aurangabad has led to the indiscriminate destruction of different habitats for wild animals, forcing them to infringe upon human areas.
Recently, a sick leopard — with the tick-bone disease — was found in Krushnpurwadi area on the city outskirts. It died during treatment after rescue. Earlier in December 2019, a leopard had strayed into the Cidco area of the city.