Two women injured by leopard in Bihar's Sitamarhi

SITAMARHI: Two women of Ram Nagar village under Sirauli Panchayat in Sitamarhi district sustained injuries as a suspected leopard attacked them in the field Thursday evening.
Bihar Chief Wildlife Warden Prabhat Kumar Gupta said as per preliminary information, the animal is likely to be a leopard. “Based on the pug mark and nature of injury to the two women, it seems to be a leopard. But we are awaiting a clear sighting of the animal to reach a final conclusion. The pug mark is not conclusive as it was seen on a wet land. Besides, the injuries to the women are minor, which indicates that the animal was a leopard," Gupta told TOI on Friday evening.
He said a team of rescuers and veterinarians equipped with tranquillizers is camping in the area.
The two women were working in a wheat field when the feline emerged from a bushy patch. Sunita Devi got injuries in her left hand and Kumkum Devi sustained serious injuries in her right leg. They were admitted to Sadar hospital Sitamarhi but the doctors referred them to SKMCH, Muzaffarpur, for better treatment.
Sitamarhi divisional forest officer Narendra Prasad said the wild animal probably crossed over from Parsa in the adjoining Nepal. “Parsa is a big sanctuary and connected with Chitwan. The animal probably strayed from there,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sitamarhi district administration is alert as CM Nitish Kumar was also there on his Samadhan Yatra. Patrolling by forest department personnel has been initiated in the locality where the attack happened.
The terrified villagers of Ram Nagar and Kamaldah said the forest department team reached the spot nearly three hours after the incident. Prasad, however, said a team was rushed to the village soon after receiving the information. “Rescue and wild animal catcher teams from Patna and Valimiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) have reached there,” the DFO said.