Budhu Oraon, 55, was attacked by a leopard near his house in Kherkatabusty of Nagrakata block, Jalpaiguri, on Thursday evening.

Budhu managed to fight off the animal but suffered minor injuries to his leg.

This caused panic among the residents since it followed the mauling of a minor boy from the village. On September 16, Asmit Roy was dragged out of the courtyard of his house by a leopard. Later, the child’s mutilated body was recovered.

After the boy’s death, foresters put up seven cages in different locations, but the animal remained elusive.

Locals reported that Budhu, who lived close to Asmit’s family, was bringing his cattle back from behind his house when the animal pounced on him from a bush.

He managed to avoid the attack and raised an alert, which caused the animal to flee. Locals rushed him to the rural hospital in Sulkapara. He was given primary treatment and released.

“Our men are engaged in surveillance to trace the animal. We are trying to trap the animal,” said Ashesh Pal, range officer of the Diana forest range.