Four farmers injured in firing to chase away leopard in Yelandur village

CHAMARAJANAGAR: Four farmers were injured when Forest Department personnel opened fire to chase away a leopard which was hiding in a bush, on Malligehalli road in Yelandur taluk on Thursday.

The leopard was hiding in a bush on agricultural land. In an attempt to chase it away, the Forest Department personnel opened fire, but the shrapnel hit farmers Ravi, Rangaswamy, Shivu and Murthy.

The four sustained injuries in the chest, arms, legs and other parts of the body. They were shifted to the government hospital in Kollegal for treatment. Meanwhile, the leopard also died and it is suspected that the forest personnel may have clubbed it to death in self-defence.

Elsewhere, a wild elephant, which had strayed to the edge of the forest at Bandipur tiger reserve in Gundlupet taluk, pushed back a couple of forest personnel when they attempted to drive it back into the forest.

The forest staff had noticed the elephant coming towards the edge of the forest from the upper reaches and were trying to drive it back into the forest. The elephant almost charged at the two forest personnel who escaped an attack by a whisker.