Thodupuzha: A tribal youth slashed and killed a leopard after it attacked him on Saturday.

The leopard attacked Gopalan from Chinganamkudi colony in Mankulam of Idukki district. Gopalan hacked the leopard with a billhook while it sank its teeth into his arms and legs. Gopalan was walking to his brother's house nearby when the incident occured. 

“The leopard, which had killed two goats and a few hens, was lying on the road. As I walked by, it jumped onto me and attacked me. It got wounded when I slashed it with the billhook I had with me,” said Gopalan, who was injured in the attack.

Forest officials clarified that no charges will be pressed on the youth as he killed the wild animal in self defence.

Leopard is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The crime can fetch seven-year imprisonment.

Though the leopard was earlier trapped in a plastic net covering a chicken coop, it managed to escape before the Forest officials reached the site. It was entrapped in a net laid over the coop in Kottayi Binoy’s house, near Aram Mile. 

Though Binoy and other neighbours gathered on hearing the noise, the leopard broke free and escaped. Binoy said the leopard had killed five hens in his coop.

Two weeks ago, the leopard killed two goats owned by Biju John at Aram Mile, Adakkapparambil.