A full-grown leopard, which entered a house in a residential area at Paltanbazar area of Dibrugarh town, injured a man on Thursday.
However, the forest officials took eight hours to tranquilize the animal as there was no tranquilizer available with the forest department in Dibrugarh and neighbouring districts.
According to locals, the animal sneaked into the residence of one Mahtab Ahmed in Paltanbazar area at around 9.10 am.
The leopard which was taking shelter in the kitchen of the house attacked one Ammamuddin Ahmed.
Other members of the house were alerted about the presence of the big cat as the profusely bleeding person ran out of the house shouting and crying.
A curious crowd gathered outside the house to watch the animal which was prowling and knocked down furniture and other things inside the house.
As the leopard once again retreated to the kitchen, one of the onlookers stepped into the house and locked the kitchen door trapping the big cat.
The injured person, who suffered deep wounds on his hand and head, was rushed to the Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) for treatment and is currently said to be out of danger.
“As there was no tranquilizer available with any of the forest and veterinary offices in Dibrugarh, it was ordered from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, Kaziranga,” said sources.
After nearly eight hours of the leopard’s sighting, a team of forest officials and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) members finally arrived with a set of tranquilizers and other equipment at around 5.30pm.
The WTI team was led by well-known veterinary surgeon Khanin Changmai.
Later, Changmai tranquilized the leopard.
Dibrugarh forest ranger Nareswar Das said the leopard strayed into the residential area from the nearby Maijan tea estate located on the banks of the Brahmaputra.
“The leopard was tranqualised and rescued from the residential area and after check-up it was released in Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary,” Das said.
Recently, a full-grown male leopard strayed into a residential colony at Panchali area of Dibrugarh town triggering panic among residents.
The leopard attacked an injured one Lakhindra Rai.
Rai, who received injuries in his hand, was rushed to AMCH for treatment.