11-year-old boy fights off leopard in Palghar forest; school bag saves his life

Palghar, Nov 22 (PTI) An 11-year-old schoolboy displayed exemplary courage as he fought back a menacing leopard with the help of his friend by hurling stones and raising an alarm, which forced the big cat to beat a hasty retreat in Palghar district of Maharashtra, officials said on Saturday.

The encounter could have had worse consequences had Mayank Kuvara not been carrying his school bag, which turned out to be a protective shield when the big cat pounced on him on Friday evening near the Mala Padvipada area.

"A leopard attacked Kuvara, a class 5 student, when he was returning from school. He and another boy fought back with brave cries and threw stones", officials confirmed.

The commotion and the swift reaction of the children alerted people who ran to the scene, causing the leopard to flee back into the forest.

Kuvara suffered a claw injury to his hand and is currently undergoing treatment at Vikramgad Rural Hospital. A medical officer said the boy has received stitches for the injury.

Resident Forest Officer, Kanchad, Swapnil Mohite told PTI today that forest officials immediately rushed to the spot and later to the hospital where the boy was taken.

The Forest Department is taking the incident seriously and is implementing several preventive measures, he added.

The Forest Department has requested schools in leopard-prone areas to shut down by 4 PM.

Mohite said an AI-enabled camera is being installed to track the movement of the big cat, while villages are being alerted through traditional "Davandi" (public announcements). PTI COR NSK