Panic spread across Sathgachi, a village near the Bangladesh border in the Mathabhanga subdivision of Cooch Behar, on Saturday morning as a leopard entered the village and injured at least six persons.
Initially, it attacked a young woman, Pratima Dakua, on a field. According to local sources, around 8.30am, Pratima had gone to cut paddy with her mother close to their home when the leopard jumped on her.
As villagers ran to the field with sticks on hearing her screams, the leopard ran into the house of villager Birendra Barman, which was nearby.
Soon, people started gathering near the house for a glimpse of the leopard. The cornered leopard panicked and attacked five others — Binoy Barman, Jiban Barman, Girish Barman, Harkanta Roy and Kamal Sarkar — all residents of the same village, and took shelter in a room of the same house.
The injured were taken away for treatment. Pratima, who suffered critical injuries, is under treatment at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, while the other five are being treated at the subdivisional hospital in Mathabhanga.
Police and foresters were informed. A police team from Mathabhanga reached the spot. They were followed by foresters, who brought nets and surrounded the house.
As the crowd swelled, the police used loudhailers, asking people to leave so that foresters could rescue the animal.
From 9.30am, foresters tried to tranquillise the leopard. Around 3.30pm, they succeeded.
“Teams from the Buxa Tiger Reserve, Cooch Behar and Jaldapara wildlife divisions reached the spot and carried out a joint rescue operation,” said Bijon Kumar Nath, the additional divisional forest officer of Cooch Behar forest division.
Foresters took the leopard out of the house. Later, it was released into the Buxa Tiger Reserve in Alipurduar.
Foresters said they suspected the leopard came from the Jamaldaha forest or from Kunjanagar of Falakata block.
“Our department will provide compensation to the injured according to government norms," said Asitava Chattopadhyay, the divisional forest officer of Cooch Behar forest division.