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Bannerghatta Halts Non-AC Safaris After Leopard Claws Woman Through Bus Window

The park ordered a full safety inspection to address mesh gaps highlighted by an earlier incident.

Overview

  • Around 1 pm on November 13, a leopard leapt onto a non-AC safari bus in the leopard enclosure with about a dozen passengers on board.
  • The injured tourist, Vahitha Banu, 56, from Chennai, suffered scratches to her hand, received first aid, and is stable after treatment at a hospital in Jigani.
  • Officials said windows were fitted with metal wire mesh but a small gap allowed the leopard’s paw to reach inside.
  • Park authorities suspended all non-AC safari services indefinitely and will assess vehicles and restrict openings in mesh-covered windows.
  • The incident is the second in months after an August clawing of a 12-year-old that led to mesh directives, and video of Thursday’s encounter spread widely on social media.