Two cops hurt in leopard attack

Kathmandu,A leopard that escaped its wild habitat in Bhaktapur mauled five persons at Tashitole in Lalitpur this morning before the wild beast was tranquilised.
Two women and two cops were among those injured. It is second such feline attack in the Kathmandu Valley in a week. ASI Naresh Rawal, in- charge, Metropolitan Police Sector in Lubhu, where the incident occurred, told The Himalayan Times that the leopard pounced on Laxmi Bajracharya (30), a resident of the area, and Kanchhi Tamang (65), hailing from Sirutar of Bhaktapur, the for- mer critically. Bajracharya was critically injured and was rushed to Teku Hospital for treatment.
As the news of attack in the residential areas broke, a spe- cial squad of the police under the command of ASI Rawal reached the scene. "The leop- ard attacked us, injuring two cops when we were setting a trap. It then hid in a bush," said Rawal. Policemen Keshav Upadhaya and Prem Tamang were injured in the attack.
Upadhaya has been referred to Sainik Hospital at Maharaj- gunj while Tamang was dis- charged after first aid. It re- mained hidden in the bush for five hours. A team of vets from Jawalakhel Central Zoo tried to tame the beast but it stormed into a nearby house, injuring an unidentified man.
Finally, it was sedated with a shot of tranquiliser dart gun.
It was then dispatched to Jawalakhel zoo. Despite pub- lic pressure, the police exer- cised maximum restraint not to harm the endangered ani- mal and captured it alive.
On Saturday, a leopard had mauled two persons before it was shot dead by sharpshoot- ers dispatched from Metro- politan Police Circle, Boud- dha, at Pragatinagar in Jor- pati, Kathmandu. Conserva- tionists had condemned the police for succumbing to the pressure of irate public to kill the leopard.
Braj Kishor Yadav, in- charge, District Forest Office, Kathmandu, told this daily that urban centres close to balding forests were more vulnerable to leopard attacks.