52-yr-old Darj woman fights off leopard to save grandson, pet dog
Times of India | 3 July 2026
Darjeeling: A 52-year-old woman fought off a leopard for nearly an hour to protect her eight-year-old grandson and pet dog in Darjeeling on Wednesday evening.
The incident took place at Devkota village in the Lower Bhutia area. The woman, Devika Sherpa, sustained injuries to her head and hand during the attack and is undergoing treatment at Darjeeling District Hospital.
Sherpa said she had returned home after attending a puja at around 6 pm. After dinner, she heard a commotion outside and stepped out to investigate, followed by her grandson.
“When I went outside, I saw the leopard attacking my pet dog. I ran to fight it because I was afraid it would attack my grandson or drag him away. While trying to save them, I was injured on my head and hand,” she said.
“I request the Forest Department to catch the leopard before it attacks someone else,” she said.
“I had surgery on my hand and steel plates have been inserted. This is not the first time a leopard has taken livestock and pet animals from our area,” she added.
Forest department officials visited the village soon after the incident. According to forest department sources, the leopard has become highly aggressive following the encounter, making it difficult to capture at present.