Kolhapur: A 45-year-old sugar cane cutter, Limbabai Rohidas Rathod, a native of Bibi village in Lonar tehsil of Buldhana, was attacked by a wild animal early on Wednesday at Nevri in Kadegaon tehsil of Sangli district.
The sugar cane cutters are living in fear of possible attacks by wild animals, especially leopards, which are spotted in sugar cane fields at this time of the year. Not just leopards, cane cutters residing along Krishna riverbank also fear attacks by crocodiles.
Forest department officials said Rathod was attacked by a hyena. She suffered injuries on her head. Doctors said, the teeth of the animal tore the skin of her forehead. Her husband came to her rescue and kicked the animal away. She was admitted to Sangli Civil Hospital and discharged after treatment.
The area surrounding Vita-Kadegaon stretch has presence of leopards. Locals have demanded that the forest department install cages to trap the animal.
"We found the pug marks of a hyena near the attack site. Also, we showed photos of hyena and leopard look to the woman's husband, who identified the animal as a hyena. We also found pug mark of a leopard a few metres away near the cane plantation. The pug mark is old; however, we have set up trap cameras," Santosh Shirsetwar, range forest officer Palus-Kadegaon, told TOI.
Shirsetwar further said that after consulting honorary wildlife warden Ajit Patil from Sangli, a conclusion was drawn that the animal was indeed a hyena.
"We have written to the sugar millers to ensure the safety of labourers. Millers can provide protective grills or nets surrounding the tents of labourers. The attacks by wild animals on migratory labourers may increase in future, and precautionary measures need to be taken from now onwards," said Shirsetwar.
Forest officials said two leopards have been spotted in the range — one transiting between Vita and Kadegaon and another found near Sagreshwar sanctuary in Palus district.
