Pune: Toddlers suffered deep wounds to his neck and his head after he was attacked by leopards in Rajuri Village in Junnar Taluka, about 100 km from the city, on the Pune-Nashik highway around 8:30 a.m.
on Sundays.
Toddlers, Ved Akshay Chaskar (3), rushed to a private hospital where he was treated and received around 150 stitches in the neck and head, said officials from the Junnar Forest Division.
The child played on the porch of his house while his parents worked nearby in a peratles when Leopard emerged from the sugar cane agriculture close and pounced him.
Deputy Forest Conservator (Junnar) Jayram Gowda said on Monday that the leopard caught the boy and dragged him to the thickness of sugar cane about 25m away.
“Hearing Ved’s cry, his parents chased the animal shouting to ask for help.
The animal then left the child and fled,” Gowda said.
“Ved bleed from behind his neck and throat, and rushed to a private hospital in the village of Aalephata,” said Gowada.
“He then shifted to a private hospital in Bhosari where he had been treated,” Gowda added.
Forest officials, who reached the place in the village where the incident took place, found Pugmark leopards, and blood stains.
Yogesh Ghodke, Officer Forest, Otur Range, said they had received permission to install a cage in the village to capture leopards.
“Leopards are often inside and around the village because of the large number of sugar cane and fruit plantations,” said Ghodke.
“We suspect that the animal might have identified the child as a prey.
However, we are investigating all possible aspects,” said Gowda.
According to the Government Norm, Gowda said the family would be compensated.
“The family will get compensation until Rs 2 Lakh from the government soon,” he added.
In 2015, three deaths were reported because of Leopard’s attack on Junnar.
A 60-year-old woman Sakhubai Hile from Pimpalgaon Joga was persecuted to death in May.
In April, the five-year-old Praveen Dudhpade was killed by a leopard in Khamundi Village while in March, a toddler was killed by a leopard in Dindore Village.