Top News

Hanur: A 30-year-old man was killed in a leopard attack while undertaking a foot pilgrimage to the famous religious centre of Male Mahadeshwara Hills in Karnataka. The incident occurred on Wednesday, January 21, on the Talabetta walking trail.

The deceased has been identified as Praveen (30), a resident of Cheeranhalli village in Mandya district.

According to police, devotees from Cheeranhalli and nearby villages had set out on a traditional foot pilgrimage to Male Mahadeshwara Hills. The group stayed overnight at Talabetta on Tuesday and resumed their journey early Wednesday morning.

While Praveen was walking with his companions near Rangaswamy Wadde, a leopard suddenly attacked him and dragged him into the forest. His companions attempted to rescue him, but the animal reportedly moved swiftly and disappeared into the forest area.

Pilgrims alerted the Male Mahadeshwara Hills police, who rushed to the spot. During a search, Praveen was found dead in the forest around 11 am on Wednesday. Police later shifted the body from the forest to the main road for further legal procedures.

Pilgrims and local residents expressed anger as forest department officials were not immediately present at the site.

Leopards spotted on main road for past 2 months : 

Reports said leopards and their cubs had been spotted frequently along the Male Mahadeshwara Hills main road over the past two months, particularly in areas such as Talabetta, Rangaswamy Wadde and Anetaledimbe. Visuals of these sightings had earlier circulated on social media, and concerns had been reported in the media.

The incident has caused fear among devotees and locals, as no such fatal attacks on pilgrims by wild animals like leopards or tigers had been reported earlier in the area.

Rare incident of devotee killed by wild animal:

Although devotees from several generations have been undertaking foot pilgrimages to the sacred shrine of miracle saint Male Mahadeshwara, there have been no known instances of pilgrims being killed by wild animals such as tigers, leopards or other forest animals, except elephants. This incident has caused fear and anxiety among Mahadeshwara devotees, local residents and the general public.

Need for awareness and caution from authorities and forest department:

As it has been confirmed that a devotee travelling to the sacred place in the name of faith was killed by a wild animal, the concerned authorities and the forest department need to take appropriate steps to prevent such incidents from recurring. There are concerns that animals which have tasted human blood and flesh could pose a continued threat, leading to further loss of life.