Bengaluru: A family holiday turned into a nightmare on Friday, August 15, when a 13-year-old boy was attacked by a leopard during a wildlife safari at Bengaluru’s Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP). The boy, a resident of Bommasandra, was travelling with his parents in a non-air-conditioned safari bus when the big cat suddenly pounced at the vehicle, clawing his hand.
The incident, which was caught on camera and has since gone viral, shows the leopard initially sitting calmly at the edge of the safari track as vehicles passed by. In a split second, the predator approached one of the buses, stood on its hind legs, and thrust its paws through the meshed window. The boy, who had carelessly placed his hand outside the window, became an easy target. The leopard gripped his arm with its sharp claws, sparking panic inside the vehicle.
The safari driver immediately turned the bus back towards the park’s head office, and the injured child was rushed to a nearby hospital in Jigani. Doctors confirmed that the boy suffered claw injuries but was administered first aid and further medical checks to rule out deeper wounds or infections. While his injuries were classified as minor, park officials admitted that the situation could easily have turned fatal.
BBP Officials Respond To Terrifying Incident
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BBP Executive Director A.V. Surya Sen confirmed the sequence of events and said that corrective steps were being taken to avoid similar occurrences in the future. “The boy was injured during a non-AC bus leopard safari trip at the BBP. The leopard, while climbing up the bus, clawed the boy’s hand, which was placed in an accessible position,” he told The Hindu. He added that all safari buses are equipped with metal mesh coverings, but lapses such as passengers placing their arms outside the mesh increase risks.
According to Sen, it is not uncommon for big cats to leap onto safari vehicles and clutch at the window mesh, but incidents of injuries are extremely rare. In the wake of the attack, the park management has ordered stricter monitoring, reinforced safety guidelines for drivers and rechecked the mesh coverings on all non-AC buses, including camera slots.
Meanwhile, a medico-legal case has been registered against the park management following the attack. While the boy is recovering well, the incident has raised serious questions about visitor safety and compliance with safari protocols at Bannerghatta, which attracts thousands of tourists every year.
