A brave woman of Maandakhal, Pauri Garhwal saves a 15 yr old niece from the maneater’s jaws
In Uttarakhand, incidents of maneater attacks claiming several innocent lives of women and children are on the constant surge.
In both Garhwal and Kumaon regions good number of these dreaded carnivores are on prowl for human flesh making the children, women and men their easy preys.
During the last few months it has been visualised that the incidents of maneater attacks have increased manifold with the forest and wild life department officials allegedly proving to be mere spectators, not able to safeguard the human lives by either tranquilizing the predators or capturing them in cages prior to their dreaded attacks.
pic Devbhoomi Uttarakhand
The districts of Nainital, Pithoragarh, Pauri Garhwal, Chamoli are the worst sufferers in terms of maneater attacks as during the last two months several incidents of maneater mortalities of women, children n men have been witnessed with fortunate victims with deep wounds saving their lives after struggle, admitted in various hospitals.
The peculiar feature of maneater kills noticed in all these attacks have been of adolescent girls n women working on agricultural fields or nearby jungles while cutting grass etc having no idea of the cladestinely maneaters on prowl for human flesh.
This unambiguously indicate that women n girls are the most vulnerable preys of unpredictable number of maneaters leopards roaming desperately in search of human flesh finding them their easiest catch.
If we go by the newspaper reports on every alternate day there are revelations of shocking incidents of maneater kills or grievously injuried human preys, sending shiverings down the spine of the inhabitants in maneater prone areas of Uttarakhand hills.
In nutshell, the human lives in the hilly state have become most vulnerable, especially wimen n children, compelling the population to remain indoors not only in the evening hours but also during the broad daylight.
According to a latest news, on Friday, a fifty fifty year old brave village woman of Mandakhal village in Patti Paidolsiun iof Pauri Garhwal district literally fought with a maneater leopard who had grabbed her fifteen year old neice accompanying her, finally succeeding in protecting her from the predator’s deadly clutches with grievous deep wounds, bleeding profusely.
The name of this brave woman is Pitambari Devi. According to jurno Arvind Trivedi of News 18, a fifty year old woman from Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal rescued her 15 year old neice from a leopatd that attacked her on Friday afternoon.
According to a resident of Mandakhal village of Patti Paidolsiun Pitambari Devi, the locals often use the nearby forest area as a path for working and taking livestock.
Around noon at twelve when both of them were heading back to their home she heard a strange noise. On turning back, she was stunned to see the leopard having caught her by the neck, desperately dragging towards the nearby jungle.
The frieghtened lady seeing her niece grabbed by the maneater immediately reacted by shouting and forcefully hitting the leopard on his head repeatedly by the stck she was cartying.
The furious maneater who was not relenting despite being hit repeatedly, finally had no choice but to leave the terrified girl with deep wounds who was later on shifted to the government hospital in Shrinagar Garhwal, being treated of grievous wounds.
The bravery n alert presence of mind of Pitaambari Devi in such a terrific situation deserves to be commended with prestigious president’s bravery award for protecting the life of her neice from the dreaded maneater without caring for her own life.
Several maneaters have been killed by the government appointed hunters in the recent past in various districts of Uttarakhand including in Pithoragarh and Chamoli during the last two months with Joy Hukeel, Lakhpat Singh n Shaheed having killed good number of leopards after they were declared maneaters having brutally killed several children n women. The forest department are fixing cages in the Mandakhal area to catch this maneater say the news reports.
Picture : Devbhoomi Darshan
