A six-year-old boy was mauled by a wild leopard in Alipurduar district on Thursday night.
Arnius Kheria who suffered serious injuries on the right shoulder has been admitted to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri. The boy is a resident of Dheklapara tea estate in Madarihat block.
According to sources, Arnius had come out of his room and was entering the courtyard of his home when mother Sumitra called him to the kitchen for dinner around 9pm. Then, a leopard pounced on the boy and held him by his right shoulder.
Sumitra and the boy’s cousins, who were nearby, raised the alarm. Arnius shouted for help, which made the animal leave him and jump out of the place.
The family members rushed him to the state general hospital in Birpara, located around 10km away, on a two-wheeler. They had to brave the downpour and cross two rivers. Doctors at the hospital provided preliminary treatment and referred him to NBMCH.
“As I rushed to the courtyard, I found the leopard grabbing my son by his right shoulder. We are fortunate that the animal left as we shouted together,” said the mother.
Foresters visited the spot on Friday. The state forest department will bear the cost of the child’s treatment, they said.
