Tribal Farmer Battles Leopard to Save Calf in Surat

A heart-stopping incident unfolded in Surat, as a courageous tribal farmer, Prakash Chaudhary, found himself face to face with a male leopard while attempting to rescue a calf on the outskirts of Ognisha village in Mangrol taluka.

The incident began as Prakash tended to his livestock in an agricultural field behind his home, only for a leopard to pounce on one of the calves, prompting him to spring into action.

Caught in a life-threatening struggle, Prakash was on the brink of danger when his wife, Parvati, intervened heroically, fending off the leopard with an axe and saving her husband from the ferocious animal’s grip.

Following the frantic encounter, the injured leopard sought refuge inside Prakash’s home, where a swift response from the village sarpanch and forest officials led to the animal’s capture using a tranquilizer dart.

Hiren Patel, the forest officer from the Vankal range, shared that the six-year-old leopard sustained injuries on its neck and legs during the scuffle and was swiftly taken to the government Veterinary hospital in Navsari for treatment.

Meanwhile, Prakash, who also suffered injuries in the attack, was promptly rushed to the community health center in Zankhvav for medical attention, later being transferred to Surat’s New Civil Hospital for further care.

Sarpanch Soma Chaudhary emphasized that such a close encounter with a leopard was unprecedented in the village, highlighting the rare and dangerous nature of the incident.

Notably, the dense sugarcane crops surrounding Mangrol taluka serve as a hiding spot for over 22 leopards, posing a continuous threat to the local livestock and communities.