Leopard mistakes Maharashtra woman as prey, attacks her, drags body for 100 ft

A 40-year-old woman was killed in a leopard attack in a village in Maharashtra's Pune, officials from the state forest department reported on Wednesday.

This incident marks the seventh death in the Junnar forest division due to leopard attacks since March.

The attack occurred around 6 am while Sujata Dhere, the victim, was working in a soybean field surrounded by sugarcane farms, where the leopard was hiding.

The big cat misidentified Dhere as prey, attacked her, and dragged her for nearly 100 feet, resulting in severe injuries that ultimately led to her death.

Following the incident, police and forest officials arrived at the scene to conduct an investigation, and Dhere's body was sent for a post-mortem examination.

The incident took place in Pimpri-Pendhar village, located in the Junnar tehsil of Pune district.

Smita Rajahans, Assistant Conservator of Forests for the Junnar Forest Division, said that a massive search operation has already begun and efforts are also being made to raise awareness among the locals.