MP: Leopard falls into well near Kuno, injures two villagers during rescue
Shivpuri, May 25
A leopard that strayed out of Kuno National Park fell into a well while chasing a calf in Shivpuri district and injured two villagers during a rescue operation, an official said on Monday.
According to information, the incident occurred in Bhilaudi village, located close to the national park's boundary.
The leopard entered the residential area from the forest on Sunday morning and spotted a calf grazing near agricultural fields.
As the leopard chased the calf, the frightened animal bolted and accidentally fell into a nearby open well.
The leopard, continuing the pursuit, also slipped and plunged into the same well. Villagers who witnessed the chase immediately alerted the forest department.
A rescue team from Kuno National Park rushed to the scene with equipment to pull the wild animal out.
Two local villagers, identified as Mohan Singh, son of Bhup Singh Yadav, and Uddhav Shikari, volunteered to help and climbed into the well to assist forest officials.
Before the leopard could be tranquillised or caged, it attacked both men inside the well.
The forest team quickly intervened, separated the animal, and moved the injured villagers to a nearby hospital.
"Both the injured persons received injuries during the rescue operation. They were provided immediate medical attention, and their condition is stable," Medical Officer Raju Singh told IANS.
Forest officials later rescued the leopard from the well without further incident. The animal is under observation and will be released back into the forest after a health check.
Panic spread in Bhilaudi after the leopard was spotted near homes.
A resident said they heard the calf's cries and saw the leopard fall into the well, following which the forest department was informed.
Kuno National Park has frequently been in the spotlight due to cheetahs relocated under the cheetah reintroduction project.
Several cheetahs have travelled beyond park boundaries into neighbouring districts and even towards Rajasthan in recent months.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is exactly why we need better fencing around national parks. Every time a big cat enters a village, it's a lose-lose situation. Good that forest department acted fast, but prevention would be better.
The way our forest officials handle such situations is commendable. They could have just shot the leopard, but they took all precautions to rescue it. 🙏
These brave villagers who climbed into the well show the true spirit of cooperation with conservation. Even after getting hurt, they helped. But forest department should train villagers in such situations.
Meanwhile, our cheetahs keep wandering off from Kuno to other states. This whole reintroduction project seems to have more cons than pros. Leopards were always there, but now with cheetahs, the park's boundaries are getting blurred.
Good to know both men are stable now. Hope the leopard is healthy too. We need more awareness among villagers about wildlife behavior - stay away, don't try to rescue on your own.
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