Karnataka CM announces Rs 15 lakh compensation to kin of victims killed in leopard attacks

The compensation would be similar to the one that is paid to the victims of wild elephant attacks, Bommai told reporters.

Stressing that the Forest Department has taken the matter very seriously, the CM said that efforts are being made to catch the big cat alive and release it in the forests.

“Until now, the animal attacks were happening around forests but now it is taking place around Bengaluru. There are a large number of leopards around the elephant corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru. A special team has been constituted to prevent the leopard attacks. Operations will be launched to nab the leopards which have come outside the forest,” CM Bommai said.

The forest department Thursday issued shoot-at-sight orders for a leopard that killed a 21-year-old woman in the T Narasipura taluk of Mysuru district in the evening. The victim, Meghana, was a student of the Government First Grade College in T Narasipura. A 15-year-old girl in the region was also recently killed by a leopard.

As many as 15 teams have been formed to trace and shoot the leopard.

In the last two months, there have been several incidents of leopards straying into residential areas of Bengaluru and Mysuru. On December 1, the carcass of a spotted deer suspected to be killed by a leopard was found at Kodipalya near Kengeri in Bengaluru South.

“The carcass was found near the Turahalli forest region, which is adjacent to the Bannerghatta National Park. We have placed a cage to capture the leopard. Another leopard has also been spotted near Chikkajala near the Kempegowda International Airport. The leopard has been captured by the CCTV cameras,” said Ravishankar S S, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Bengaluru Urban division.

Officials from the forest department said that the same leopard had killed a calf near the Turahalli State Forest area on November 19.