Leopard Attacks 3-Year Chenchu Girl
Police personnel contributed towards her medical expenses and brought fruits for the little patient, who is recovering.
Nellore: A leopard attacked a three-year-old tribal girl sleeping in the remote Chinnarutla Chenchu hamlet in Dornala mandal of Prakasam district on Wednesday night, sending shockwaves and triggering a wave of protests.
Late in the night, Kudumula Anjamma, daughter of Anjayya and Lingeswari, had been sleeping beside her mother outside their hut when a leopard from the nearby forest picked her up in its jaws. Hearing her screams, her father got up and screamed desperately for help, startling the predator, which dropped the girl and fled into the bushes.
Village elder Manthanna immediately alerted the police and Divisional Forest Officer who rushed the injured child to Sunnipenta Government Hospital for emergency treatment. Subsequently, Dornala sub-inspector V. Mahesh and his team transported the girl to Dornala Government Hospital for better medical care.
Police personnel contributed towards her medical expenses and brought fruits for the little patient, who is recovering.
The incident has ignited the long-standing grievances of Chenchu tribals. Despite living in Chinnarutla hamlet for over 70 years, tribal residents allege that the ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) authorities have failed to create even basic electricity facilities for lighting up the hamlet.
Protesting villagers blocked RTC and other vehicles on the Dornala-Srisailam highway for nearly an hour. They withdrew their protest after forest and police officials held discussions with the protestors and assured to address their concerns.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, SI Mahesh explained that power supply could not be extended to the hamlet as the area falls within a reserve forest. He said authorities had provided solar power as an alternative, but the system has become defunct. He assured that steps will be taken to repair the equipment and restore solar power at the earliest.