Farmer, 65, fights off leopard in Kannad; quilt wrapped around body shielded his neck

A leopard attacked a farmer at around 2 am on Wednesday night in the Upla farm area of Bhambarwadi in Kannad taluka. Ganpat Jadhav, 65, drove the animal away with his presence of mind. A quilt (godhadi) also played a key part in saving his life.

Jadhav's farm lies near the Kannad-Chalisgaon highway, and his hut is there too. The rest of the family had gone out for sugarcane harvesting, so Jadhav was alone. After dinner on Wednesday night he fell asleep on a cot in front of the house. It was cold, and he had covered his whole body with a quilt, but his right hand was outside it.

Around 2 am the leopard suddenly pounced on him and bit hard on his right wrist, which was sticking out of the quilt.

Jadhav woke the moment he was attacked. Honorary wildlife warden Rajesh Thombre said Jadhav had wrapped the quilt around his entire body, so the leopard could not get hold of his extremely vulnerable neck. In that way, the quilt proved a true shield for him.

Even after the attack, Jadhav did not give up. He kept his senses, thrust a stick lying nearby straight into the leopard's mouth and began shouting loudly, with no thought for his life. Alarmed by his fierce reaction and the stick lodged in its mouth, the leopard panicked and fled. Villagers woke on hearing his cries and rushed him to the Kannad Rural Hospital.

Two of the leopard's teeth sank into Jadhav's right wrist, causing a serious injury. Its sharp claws also left deep wounds on the arm below the shoulder. He has been given anti-rabies and antibiotic injections. Dr Aniruddha Gaikwad, medical superintendent of Kannad Rural Hospital, said he will be kept under medical observation for the next one month.

Local representatives have expressed strong displeasure with the Forest Department's functioning after the incident. Zilla Parishad members Dr Trupti Rajput, Dr Dilipsing Rajput, Dr Sanjay Gavhane and Rahul Rathod voiced anger at the department's lax work and demanded an inquiry into the officials concerned.

Asked about the incident, Assistant Conservator of Forests Vishal Kavade said he was not aware of it and was in Vaijapur. Forester Pravin Pardhi said he had been in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He said he would soon visit the spot to prepare a site report, where forest guard Yashada Salve is present.