A tragic incident unfolded during a pilgrimage to Male Mahadeshwara Hill in Karnataka when a leopard attacked and killed a 30-year-old youth named Praveen in the Talubetta forest area. Praveen, accompanied by four friends, was walking near Male Mahadeshwara Hill late at night when the leopard struck, causing panic among the group.
The group reportedly noticed the leopard on a roadside wall, leading to a chaotic escape attempt. While the other pilgrims managed to flee in different directions, Praveen went missing. His friends discovered bloodstains in the area where he was last seen, prompting a search operation by forest department officials and police the next morning.
Praveen’s body was eventually found in a gorge within the forest, with severe injuries inflicted by the leopard. The animal had dragged his body nearly a kilometer into the forest and was still present, feeding on the remains when officials located the scene. Due to the lack of appropriate equipment, retrieving the body from the dense terrain posed challenges for the authorities.
Local residents expressed frustration over the incident, criticizing alleged negligence by forest officials regarding earlier reports of leopard sightings in the area. This unfortunate event echoes a similar tragedy from November 2020, where a five-year-old girl named Sanvi was attacked and taken away by a leopard while playing near a shed on a farm in Madure village.
