Man fights off leopard, saves son in Bahraich

Lucknow: A gutsy man fought off a leopard and saved his son’s life when the animal ambushed them in an agricultural field in the Sujauli range of Bahraich on Saturday evening.The child suffered injuries in the attack and was admitted to a local community health centre where he is said to be out of danger.

The incident took place in Ayodhyapurwa village.Ajmat Ali was heading to a wedding with his son. As they were walking through a field, a leopard emerged from nearby bushes and pounced on the child. Despite the sudden attack, Ajmat Ali did not let go of his son’s hand and engaged in a struggle with the leopard. He pushed the animal with full force, forcing it to retreat and freed his son from the beast’s grip. Ali suffered minor injuries in the attack.The injured child was initially admitted to a local health facility where doctors referred him to the community health centre at Mihinpurwa.Divisional forest officer Apoorva Parikshit said a team led by range officer Rohit Kumar inspected the site and met the victim’s family at the hospital. Immediate financial assistance of Rs 5,000 is being processed for the family.In another incident from the Katarniaghat Wildlife Division, a 45-year-old farmer, Jawahar Singh, was attacked by a leopard when he was returning home from a market near Amritpur. The animal suddenly lunged at him near a forest patch, injuring him. Singh managed to escape by accelerating his motorcycle. He was later admitted to a health facility.