Woman attacked by leopard in middle of bustling city

A pregnant woman suffered serious injuries after being badly mauled by a leopard in India - the third such attack there in as many weeks.

The big cat clamped its jaws around Akila Bibi's head and a r ms, l e a v i ng her wit h deep wounds to her scalp, after it when it strayed into the largest city the country's north-east Assam state.

The woman, who is in her e a r l y t went i e s , is currently r e c o v e r i n g i n h o s p i t a l . He r unborn child, due i n three months, was unharmed by the ordeal.

Her husband, labourer Abid Ali, said his wife lost a lot of blood and was unconscious.

He said: ‘The back of her scalp was badly mauled.’

The leopard caused panic when it wandered into a densely populated residential neighbourhood in Guwahati.

The wild cat also pounced on a 20-year-old man during the same attack.

Moziz Haq suffered head injuries.

Speaking from his hospital bed, he told AFP news agency: ‘It was a thumping, slap-like feeling and I fell on the ground with blood splattered all over me’.

The animal was later tranquilised by forest officials and taken to a city zoo.

It was the third leopard attack in Guwahati this month.

In a gruesome incident captured on camera, three people were injured and one killed by a leopard on January 7. Three people were hurt in another attack last week.

Thousands of people are attacked by wild animals in India each year, with tigers, leopards, elephants and snakes the most dangerous. Conservationists say an increasing number of wild animals are appearing in towns and cities because of urban and industrial encroachment on their natural habitat.