A simple trip to gather neem leaves turned into a life-threatening encounter for a villager in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district on Tuesday morning. The incident has sent shockwaves through the Dongargarh region, already tense from repeated leopard sightings.
The Terrifying Attack in Lohjhri Village
The victim, identified as Kejau Ram Kanwar, was in the forest near Lohjhri village under the Mohara outpost when a leopard suddenly pounced on him. The big cat attacked with its claws, inflicting a severe and deep injury to Kanwar's head. Following the assault, family members and fellow villagers quickly came to his aid. He was first taken to the community health centre in Dongargarh. Due to the seriousness of the head wound, doctors referred him to the Rajnandgaon Medical College, where he is currently receiving treatment.
A Region Living in Fear: Ignored Warnings?
This attack is not an isolated event. For several months, people living across the Dongargarh forest belt have reported frequent leopard sightings close to human settlements. Residents of Lohjhri, Mohara, and nearby hamlets state that the presence of the big cats becomes palpable soon after dusk in the fringe forests. While incidents of livestock killings were previously common, this direct attack on a human has dramatically escalated local fear and alarm.
Villagers claim their repeated warnings about the growing leopard presence have gone unheeded. The situation was highlighted just a few months ago when a leopard carcass was discovered under suspicious circumstances in the same forest range. Locals argue that instead of subsiding, the sightings and now attacks have only increased in frequency.
Official Response and Villagers' Demands
After the attack on Kejau Ram Kanwar, teams from the forest department and local police visited the village. Officials stated that monitoring in the area would be intensified. Their proposed plan includes installing trap cameras, deploying additional patrol units, and conducting awareness campaigns to urge villagers to remain vigilant.
However, the local community is demanding more concrete and immediate action. Their key demands include:
- Strict temporary restrictions on forest entry until the leopard movement is properly controlled.
- Mandatory night patrolling by forest guards in vulnerable areas.
- The immediate deployment of rapid response teams to handle such emergencies.
The incident underscores the escalating human-wildlife conflict in the region, calling for a balanced strategy that ensures both villager safety and wildlife conservation.
