Class 5 student survives forest ambush; villagers demand tighter patrols after alarming wildlife encounter.

An 11-year-old boy from Palghar’s Vikramgad taluka had a miraculous escape after a leopard pounced on him while he was walking home from school. The incident, which took place on the forest route near Utawali Adarsh Vidyalaya, has sparked fear among residents and renewed demands for stronger safety measures.

Mayank Vishnu Kuvara, a Class 5 student, was returning to his home in Mala Padvipada nearly four kilometres from school, when the leopard suddenly leapt from the roadside thicket. The animal’s claws landed directly on Mayank’s school backpack, absorbing the impact and preventing a fatal injury. Despite this, he sustained deep wounds on his hands while trying to defend himself.

See Full Page