Pune: An eight-year-old boy, Rupesh Tanhaji Jadhav, lost his life in a leopard attack early on Tuesday (September 24) morning.
The boy, visiting his grandparents at a brick kiln in Tejewadi, was dragged into a nearby sugarcane field by a leopard while he went out for a bathroom break at dawn.
Rupesh, who had come to Tejewadi from Mhaisgaon, Taluka Rahuri, District Ahmednagar, just eight days ago, was on a holiday visit. His grandparents work at a local brick kiln owned by Raju Shinde, and the family was staying at the site during Rupesh's stay.
At around 5 AM, Rupesh left the house to relieve himself when a lurking leopard attacked him. The animal pounced and swiftly dragged the boy into the nearby sugarcane fields before anyone could react.
Hearing the commotion, Rupesh’s family members and neighbors rushed to his aid, shouting in an attempt to scare the leopard away, but the ferocious animal refused to release the child from its grasp.
The cries of the villagers echoed in vain as the leopard disappeared into the dense sugarcane field with the boy.
The family immediately contacted the Forest Department, and within hours, officer Pradeep Chavan and his rescue team reached the site. The local residents, along with the rescue team and Forest Department officials, initiated a search for the boy.
During their hunt, they also came across the same man-eating leopard but were unable to catch it.
After a thorough search, the team discovered Rupesh's lifeless body in the sugarcane field around 7:30 AM. His death has left the village of Tejewadi in mourning, and residents are now worried about the increasing leopard presence in the area.
Forest officials have ramped up efforts to trap the leopard and prevent further attacks.
