Leopard Grabs Toddler By Throat; Child Receives 150 Stitches On Neck And Head

A three-year-old child playing inside his house was brutally attacked by a leopard that emerged from a sugarcane farm nearby. The child, who was gravely injured, ended up with 150 stitches to his head and neck.

The incident happened in Rajuri village in the Indian state of Maharashtra Sunday night, reported The Times Of India.

The toddler was playing on the house's porch when the feline, that was hiding in the thicket nearby, pounced on him. His parents were working in a nearby cattle shed at that time.

"The leopard caught the boy by his neck and dragged him into the sugarcane thicket about 25m away. Hearing Ved's cries, his parents chased the animal, shouting for help. The animal then left the child and escaped," a senior forest department official told The Times Of India.

The child, named Ved Akshay Chaskar, was severely injured and bled profusely from the back of his neck and throat. He was rushed to a nearby hospital before being moved to a bigger hospital in the city.

"The doctor at the hospital on Monday informed us that the boy received about 150 stitches on his neck and head," the official told the publication. However, his condition is currently stable and the wound is healing.

Forest officials who rushed to the spot discovered pug marks of the leopard and bloodstains near the sugarcane thicket where Ved was dragged to.

Following the incident, the Forest Department has decided to install trap cages in the village to catch the animal. The sighting of the leopard is frequent in and around the village due to a large number of sugarcane fields," the official added. The area also has banana and pomegranate farms, which attract small animals, that become prey to big cats.

According to authorities, the family will be compensated financially for the treatment of the child.

Recently, a 2-year-old girl in India had a miraculous escape from the jaws of a leopard after her grandparents managed to fight off the animal. The child's right foot was already in the big cat's mouth when the elderly couple bravely took on the animal. While the woman kicked the feline, her husband attacked it with a stick. Though the couple was injured, the animal fled the scene leaving the child.