Tirumala: Vigilance guards save three-year-old boy after leopard drags him to forest
While boy and his grandfather were walking in the pedestrian route, the leopard pounced on him and dragged him into the Seshachalam forests
By Sri Lakshmi Muttevi Published on 23 Jun 2023 2:35 AM GMT
Representational Image.
Tirumala: A three-year-old boy was badly injured when a leopard pounced on him near the 7th mile along the Alipiri-Tirumala pedestrian route on Thursday night.
The boy was rescued and is being treated at the hospital.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam vigilance guard and II town police who were at the pedestrian route saved the boy.
TTD EO AV Dharma Reddy said the incident occurred when a group of devotees from Adoni was trekking atop Tirumala. While the boy's father and mother were walking ahead, the boy and his grandfather stopped at a shop to buy chips. After they started walking, the leopard pounced on him and dragged him into the Seshachalam forests.
"His grandfather chased the leopard but couldn't find the animal. Fortunately, Tirumala II Town SI Ramesh and vigilance guards were at the spot. On information, they immediately ran into the forests. They made loud sounds, and put on cell phone lights to startle the animal', said Dharma Reddy.
The animal which perhaps feared left the boy near a repeater station and ran away. The vigilance guard who heard the boy's cry immediately rushed to the spot and rescued him. He was given first aid in the ambulance and then shifted to Padmavathi Children's Heart Hospital.
"The boy is safe and was treated for injuries on the neck and head. The devotees were later allowed to go through the pedestrian walk, but are advised to go in groups," said the EO.
On Friday morning TTD Trust Board chairman YV Subba Reddy visited the hospital to know the health condition of the boy.
Seshalam-- a home for leopards:
The Eastern Ghats and the Sesachalam forest located near Tirupati are home to many leopards
Earlier too, there were incidents of leopard attacks on the devotees. In June 2019, a leopard attacked two young devotees who were on their way to Tirumala through a pedestrian route.
In December 20121, two motorists were injured in a leopard attack on the Tirumala Ghat section. A leopard appeared on Ghat Road and attacked the motorists and employees of TTD when they were returning home from duty.
