A 5-year-old boy was attacked by a leopard outside their home at Upper Paralai Estate in Valparai. The animal tried to drag the child away, but his mother held on and neighbours who rushed to the spot drove the leopard back into the bushes.

The boy, Deekshith, is son of estate workers Guruswamy and Nagajyothi. He is a Class 1 student at a nearby Panchayat Union Primary School. On Thursday, he returned from school and was sitting with his mother near the entrance of their house when the leopard suddenly emerged from the bushes and attacked him.

The leopard bit the child and attempted to carry him away. His mother resisted, refusing to let go. Her cries alerted neighbours, who arrived with sticks and confronted the animal. The leopard then abandoned the child and fled into the nearby bushes.

Deekshith suffered serious injuries to the back of his head and the right side of his face. He was first taken to Valparai Government Hospital before being shifted to the government hospital in Pollachi. He was later admitted to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for treatment.

The attack comes amid growing concern over leopard activity in Valparai. Two children were recently killed in leopard attacks in the area, following which local residents launched protests and the district administration took safety measures.