Leopard strays into heart of Guwahati, mauls three people

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A fully grown leopard on Saturday strayed into the heart of Assam's main city of Guwahati from an adjoining hillock and mauled at least three people, eye witnesses and officials said.

The incident took place around midday in the city's busy Nabagraha area when the leopard entered a house and started attacking the residents.

"We were simply shocked and stunned to find the leopard inside the house and soon the cat started attacking," Nipu Das, an eyewitness, said.

Three people were injured, one of them seriously.

"One person was badly injured when the cat mauled his head and face," Das said.

The cat was later tranquilized by forest officials and taken for observation at the Assam State Zoo in Guwahati.

"We believe the cat strayed into the area from a nearby hillock, maybe in search of food," a forest official said.