A forest officer was injured in a leopard attack at Palathumkadav in Ayyankunnu panchayt of Kannur on Wednesday evening, while the injured leopard was later found dead in a nearby forest area.
The incident took place in the Barapole project area when forest officer K. Rahul was assaulted during a search operation. He was rescued after fellow forest officials fired in the air with a 12-gauge pistol to scare off the animal. Rahul was taken to a private hospital in Irrita for first aid and later shifted to Kannur District Hospital.
The leopard, which reportedly had old and deep wounds, was subsequently found dead. Forest officials suspect that the animal died of injuries and severe weakness.
The dead body of the animal was taken to Aralam RRT Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem. Forest officials said the exact cause of death can be confirmed only after the post-mortem.
Published – 25 Feb 2026 22:25 IST
