Gujarat: Leopard mauls 80-year-old visually impaired woman to death

A LEOPARD mauled an 80-year-old visually impaired woman to death in Amreli district of the western Indian state of Gujarat on Tuesday (5), a forest official said on Wednesday.

The incident took place late in the night when the victim, Shantaben, was sleeping in her hut on the outskirts of Jabal village in Savarkundla taluka, range forest officer Pratap Chaandu said.

After learning about the incident from villagers, forest officials rushed to the spot and set up two cages to catch the feline, he said.

The area where the incident took place is close to the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and wild animals frequently venture near human settlements, the official said.

"The woman lived alone in the hut. Her daughter was in another hut when the leopard attacked the victim, as the animal might have been hungry and searching for a prey. The woman was partially blind. She died on the spot after the attack," the official said.

When villagers rushed to the spot to save the woman after hearing her cries for help, the leopard ran away into a nearby forest. But, it was too late by then and she succumbed to her injuries, he said.

"We have set up two cages to catch the leopard. We have also asked villagers to take extra care as the area is close to a forest," the official said.