Leopard attack triggers panic in Mahabubnagar, three shepherds injured

A leopard attacked three shepherds and killed three sheep in Kotlabad village, Mahabubnagar, on Saturday night. The injured men were hospitalized with minor injuries. Forest officials set up cages and camera traps as leopard sightings have been reported in nearby areas recently.

Mahabubnagar: Panic gripped residents of Mahabubnagar after a leopard attacked three shepherds and killed three sheep at Kotlabad village in Koilkonda mandal around midnight on Saturday.

The shepherds, Satyanarayana Reddy, Chenna Reddy, and Golla Maibanna, all aged around 50, sustained minor injuries on their chest, hands and legs. They were sleeping with their flock when the leopard attacked. As they tried to drive it away to save the sheep, the animal turned on them. All three were taken to the Government General Hospital in Mahabubnagar and are expected to be discharged later in the evening, said District Forest Officer (DFO) Satyanarayana.

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The incident occurred nearly 40 km from Mahabubnagar town. A cage has been set up in Kotlabad to capture the leopard, the DFO added.

Meanwhile, residents of Mahabubnagar town have also reported leopard sightings in recent days. For the past 15 days, a leopard has been spotted near the Tirumala Dev Gutta Temple, also known as TD Gutta. In response, the Forest Department has deployed a cage and installed camera traps to monitor the area. An image of a leopard was captured last Tuesday, confirming its presence.

However, there has been no fresh visual evidence from the temple cameras over the last four days, raising doubts on whether it is the same leopard involved in the Kotlabad attack. Villagers have been alerted and advised to remain indoors as a precautionary measure, said the DFO.