Gurung in hospital. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Mechpara Tea Estate (Alipurduar), April 3: A leopard found dead here yesterday might have succumbed to injuries suffered during a fight with a worker of a neighbouring tea garden last week.

Ganesh Gurung, an employee of Bhatpara Tea Estate, had spotted the animal lying on the road last Thursday. Mistaking it for a dog, he tried to shoo it away with stones when the leopard pounced on him.

Gurung, 35, grappled with the big cat for nearly half an hour, locking his hands around the animal’s neck to shake off the animal. But the moment Gurung loosened his grip, the leopard sprang back to attack him.

The animal then walked away, leaving Gurung with 22 wounds on his head, arms and left leg. The worker has been admitted to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri.

Officers of the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) said the nature of injuries on the decomposing leopard carcass suggested it was the same animal Gurung had battled.

“From the extent of decomposition, we are quite sure the animal died at least five days ago. The nails on its front paws were broken. So we cannot rule out the possibility that this is the same animal that attacked Gurung last week,” said A.P. Singh, deputy field director, BTR (West).