Number 7 Courtney Ntimane In the summer of 2019, 2-year-old Courtney
Ntimane was having a barbecue with his family in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
At around 8 pm, the little boy was following his father back to their bungalow, located
in a compound that was fenced-off.
The man had already gone inside when he heard his son’s agonizing screams.
A leopard had pounced from the darkness and taken Courtney in its jaws.
When the boy’s terrified father saw what was happening, he ran at the leopard screaming.
The beast dropped Courtney and leapt in the same tree it had most likely used to climb
over the compound’s wall.
The blood-soaked child was rushed to a hospital as he’d sustained repeated bites on his
neck and body.
Unfortunately, there was nothing more that doctors could do for him and he was pronounced
dead on arrival.
The leopard was tracked down and shot by a park ranger, since it presented the risk of
becoming a serial man-eater.
What Is It?
The leopard is a big cat, of the Felidae family, and a member of the Panthera genus that also
includes lions, tigers and jaguars.
Leopards have large skulls; long, muscular bodies and relatively short legs.
They have well-camouflaged fur marked by darks spots which are grouped in rosettes.
Much like jaguars, leopards can be melanistic, meaning that they exhibit a black pigmentation.
These rare specimens are usually referred to as black panthers.
The maximum recorded weight for a leopard, found in Southern Africa, was roughly 212
pounds with a length of 8.7 feet.
They typically tend to grow larger in areas where they’re apex predators and don’t
face competition from lions or tigers.
Wildlife experts argue that they’re less afraid of humans than both.
Historically, leopards have counted themselves among the world’s most terrifying man-eaters.
They’re not only exceptionally strong and agile but also capable of stealthy attacks.
Additionally, leopards are arguably the best climbers of all the big cats.
This means that they can rapidly move around the environment, searching for the perfect
spot and finding the right moment to strike.
It’s these attributes and others that make leopards very dangerous to humans.
Number 6 Shrutika Thit In late March, 2019, 5-year-old Shrutika Thit
was harvesting maize with her grandmother in the Indian village of Sakori.
Unbeknownst to them, a leopard was lying in wait in the nearby fields.
The feline suddenly pounced and bit Shrutika on the neck.
As the beast tried to drag her away, the girl’s cries alerted her grandmother and other villagers.
They intervened and hurled stones at the predator until it let go of the child and fled.
Shrutika was rushed to a hospital but, by that point, it was already too late to save
her life.
As the leopard sunk its powerful jaws in the child’s neck, it had severed major arteries.
Shrutika was declared dead moments after arriving to the emergency room.
According to a village spokesperson, there were other leopards roaming the area’s sugar
cane fields.
A 5-month-old had been killed in a village, 66 miles from Sakori, in January of the same
year.
Where Is It Located?
There are currently 8 leopard subspecies officially recognized by the Cat Specialist group.
Nowadays, these creatures inhabit less than a quarter of their historical range.
Habitat destruction and poaching by humans have played a significant role in their dwindling
numbers.
Leopards are illegally hunted for their body parts which are smuggled to be used as decoration
or in traditional medicine.
Expansion of agriculturally used land in their natural habitats has reduced the leopard’s
range, which has also contributed to an increase of attacks on humans.
It’s one of the reasons that leopards sometimes wander into cities or villages.
The most widespread subspecies is the African leopard, found in most of sub-Saharan Africa.
The Indian leopard is widely distributed in the Indian subcontinent while other leopard
subspecies can be found in Java, Sri Lanka, the Arabian Peninsula or eastern Turkey.
The most endangered leopard subspecies, also described as the rarest big cat in the animal
kingdom, is the Amur leopard.
As of 2019, only about 90 of them are believed to inhabit a large area along the Russian-Chinese
border.
When they hunt, leopards rely on their acute hearing and vision, but their sense of smell
is also quite keen and has occasionally been described as better than a tiger’s.
Leopards prey on over 100 different species, including ungulates, primates, jackals, foxes
or cheetahs.
They’re solitary and territorial animals that are mainly active at night.
Number 5 Attack in Prakash Nagar A wild leopard wrought havoc in Prakash Nagar,
a densely populated village in the West Bengal region of India.
The big cat, estimated at 200 pounds, had strayed into the area from a nearby national
park and became agitated when locals raised the alarm.
The beast savaged several villagers, police officers and forest rangers as they desperately
tried to defend against its attacks.
Even though they’d attempted to reach higher ground, the leopard moved through the environment
quickly and still managed to catch them off guard.
It leapt from rooftops and walls, picking off targets in rapid, merciless attacks.
One forest guard was left in critical condition as he’d tried to tranquillize the beast.
The feline did, however, sustain multiple injuries which would ultimately prove fatal.
As the police officers were trying to save their colleagues, they’d stabbed the rampaging
predator with knives and struck it with their batons.
Even though it was eventually tranquillized, the leopard succumbed to the injuries sustained
in the attack.
Number 4 Attack in Jalandhar In 2019, a leopard went on a rampage in the
Indian city of Jalandhar.
It took a 12-man crew to capture the aggressive feline as it jumped throughout the city’s
walls and fences.
Locals found the feline hiding in an abandoned house and called the wildlife authorities.
Rangers arrived at the scene and attempted to restrain the predator using nets.
It swiftly pounced on them as well as other Jalandhar locals.
One ranger tried to entangle the animal in rope but was knocked off his perch by the
pouncing predator.
However, he managed to avoid the leopard’s sharp claws and vicious bite by pushing it
away.
Over a hundred bystanders watched as the feline ran rampant, fearing that they might become
its victims.
At least six people were attacked but it was reported that the injuries they’d sustained
weren’t severe.
Footage from the attack shows the leopard biting and clawing at a man’s backside as
others scramble over a fence.
Time and time again the feline used its outstanding speed and remarkable climbing ability to avoid
the rangers.
The leopard absorbed three direct hits from a tranquillizer gun before it showed signs
of slowing down.
One forest official explained that it’s harder for the sedatives to take hold if the
leopard’s being very aggressive.
After it finally went down, several hours later, a veterinary team from a nearby zoo
took the beast with them.
How Will It Kill You?
As one wildlife expert put it, if the leopard were the size of a lion, it would be 10 times
more dangerous.
That’s because the leopard’s arguably more cunning, a superior climber and it makes
better use of stealth attacks.
Even though it lacks the support of a pride, this creature has been preying on humans and
their ancestors for millions of years.
One aspect is particularly terrifying when it comes to man-eating leopards.
Most big cats become man-eaters after they’re injured and can no longer pursue regular prey.
This doesn’t seem to be true of most leopards.
A study has revealed that close to 80% of reported man-eaters are uninjured mature males.
Once a leopard has gotten a taste for human flesh it will likely pursue humans as prey
and may even target them exclusively.
It’s a terrifying prospect, particularly when considering its physical prowess and
the numerous deadly tools at its disposal.
Its jaws and neck muscles are so powerful that the leopard can carry prey close to twice
its own weight up trees.
It’s extremely agile and athletic, capable of vertical leaps of up to 10 feet, horizontal
leaps of nearly 20 feet and speeds of up to 36 mph.
Leopards are exceptional climbers and can pounce from trees, head-first.
They go for the kill by delivering a swift bite to the neck, which can break the bones
in the cervical spine and sever major arteries.
Severe and even lethal injuries can also be inflicted with their razor-sharp claws.
The leopard’s particularly deadly in regions of India and Nepal.
Although an official figure hasn’t been determined, attacks in these areas are suspected
of being in the hundreds each year.
This often means that they edge out all other large carnivores combined.
Number 3 Swaraj Gurnule The Gurnule family awoke in the early hours
of one Sunday to find that their 9-month-old child, Swaraj, was missing.
Fearing the worst, they called wildlife authorities, who canvased the area near their home in Gadbori
Village.
Some of the boy’s mutilated body parts were later found a little over a mile from the
Gurnule home.
The authorities determined that, in the dead of night, a leopard had snuck into the house.
The beast then stealthily snatched little Swaraj and dragged him deep into the forest
outside the village.
It devoured his body, leaving behind only mangled remains.
A funeral for the infant was held later that day.
In the aftermath of this horrific leopard attack, cameras and solar lamps were set up
in the village.
The bushes were also cleared in an effort to limit the feline’s ability of using them
for camouflage.
How to Survive?
There are a few measures to take towards avoiding an encounter with a leopard, since most unarmed,
average-sized humans will most likely have a tough time in a one-on-one fight.
Avoid cubs at all cost, even if you think they’re alone.
Leopards have a well-developed sense of smell so the mother will likely already know you’re
there.
They’re ferociously protective of their young and won’t hesitate to attack any perceived
threats.
As seen in our previous listings, young children are easy targets for leopards so make sure
that they’re secure, especially at night.
If you do encounter a leopard and it’s close to you, don’t look it in the eye.
This creature relies heavily on camouflage and looking directly at its eyes will let
it know that its cover has been blown.
This might trigger an attack as will turning your back to the beast, which may set off
its chase instinct.
Back away slowly but stop if the leopard starts moving towards you.
There’s no hope of outrunning or out-climbing the predator.
Your best bet is to stand your ground and make yourself look big.
Finally, if fighting with your bare hands is the only option you have left, be prepared
to sustain at least some cuts and bruises.
Protect your neck, which is the leopard’s favorite killing spot.
Use one forearm to keep the beast at bay as you punch and kick its nose, eyes or throat.
Once the leopard has given up on the attack, seek immediate medical attention.
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Number 2 Leopard of Rudraprayag For over 8 years, the Leopard of Rudraprayag
terrorized a road connecting two Hindu shrines in India.
Pilgrims who dared to cross his territory were attacked and people from the villages
in the area wouldn’t leave their homes at night.
Even so, the leopard would reportedly break down doors or climb through windows and drag
the occupants out.
It became quite clear that the Leopard of Rudraprayag had a preference for human meat.
The official position was that it had claimed at least 125 lives.
After soldiers and a number of reputable hunters failed to kill the beast, renowned hunter
Jim Corbett took it upon himself to do so.
He successfully put an end to the leopard’s reign of terror in 1926.
Corbett noted that hunting leopards presented more challenges than any other animal.
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Number 1 Panar Leopard The Panar Leopard is not only the most notorious
man-eater of his species but, when considering death toll, he’s also among the worst man-eaters
in recorded history.
During the early 20th century, the beast lived in the Kumaon region of India.
During his killing spree, the leopard was most active in the Panar province, which is
why he was named after it.
It seems that the large male feline had been responsible for over 400 fatal attacks.
This is far more than any other known man-eating leopard.
It didn’t, however, receive much coverage from the Indian press, possibly due to the
remoteness of the area where he was active.
Like the previous man-eater on our list, the Panar Leopard was also put down by Jim Corbett,
in 1910.
The hunter determined that both predators had developed a taste for human flesh by eating
bodies which had been left unburied during disease epidemics.
He documented both hunts in a book called “Man-Eaters of Kumaon”.
Corbett once wrote that there was “something very terrifying in the angry grunt of a charging
leopard”.
He added that he’d seen lines of elephants maintain their position in front of a tiger
but that they’d flee in a stampede when faced with a charging leopard.
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