Shepherd asleep near sheep injured in leopard attack

PUNE: A 30-year-old shepherd was injured in his left ear when a leopard pounced on him while he was sleeping in the open near a flock of sheep at Pargaon village, nearly 30km from Manchar town in Ambegaon tehsil, early on Thursday.
Forest officials said the leopard might have mistaken Balu Natha Ghule as a prey and attacked him as he was near the flock. Villagers took Ghule to Manchar civil hospital. His condition was stable, an official said.
Since the beginning of this year, at least 15 leopard attacks have been reported in the Junnar forest division. On March 17, a junior college (19) student was killed by a leopard at a village in Khed tehsil. On March 18, a pregnant woman was injured in a leopard attack at Chandoli in Ambegaon tehsil off Pune-Nashik highway while she was returning home with her husband on a bike.
Smita Rajhans, the range forest officer of the Manchar forest range, said, "Shepherds visit Ambegaon and Junnar tehsils from places like Ahmednagar and Shirur in search of fodder for their sheep. Ghule came with his flock of sheep to the Manchar area from Shirur in the last fortnight. On Thursday, he slept near his flock on an onion farm."
Forest officials said they have started creating awareness among the shepherd community to take measures to prevent leopard attacks. "The movement and sightings of leopards have increased due to sugar cane cutting season in Junnar, Shirur, Ambegaon and Khed tehsils in the last few months. The villagers must take additional precautions to protect themselves from leopard attacks," said Amol Satpute, the deputy conservator of the forest of the Junnar forest division.
The forest officials will submit a proposal to the state government to compensate the victim.