A three-year old boy had a miraculous escape as swift response from local police personnel helped save him from a leopard attack on the Tirumala ghat road.
According to police, the child, who was walking with his grandfather when the animal pounced on him and took him away, grabbing the boy by his neck.
The incident occurred around 10 pm on Thursday in the middle of the forest on the footsteps of the ghat road near Anjaneya Swamy statue between Tirupati town and Sri Venkateswara temple when the boy was walking with his family.
According to TTD Executive Officer A V Dharma Reddy, Tirupati Two town sub-inspector Ramesh and five to six police guards who were present nearby picked up sticks and ran into the forest in the direction of the leopard, flashing their cellphone lights.
"They shouted loudly, made noises which prompted the leopard to release the boy," said Reddy.
Later, a vigilance guard heard the cries of the boy and secured him and announced via the wireless set that he had found the boy, said Reddy.
"There was an attack on the boy but it (leopard) left him after 15 minutes. He is badly injured but out of danger, admitted in Padmavathi pediatric hospital. Expert doctors are attending on him," Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chief vigilance and security officer (CVSO) D Narasimha Kishore told PTI.
Dharma Reddy told reporters that the boy's parents were walking a bit ahead on the steps while he bought snacks and was with his grandfather when the leopard pounced on him and took him away.
Though the boy's grandfather tried going after the animal in a bid to save him, the leopard swiftly fled into the forest, Reddy added.
Once the boy was rescued, an ambulance rushed to the spot where first aid was administered and he was shifted to Padmavathi Hospital.
A team of expert doctors, including a neurosurgeon and neurologist from Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) treated the boy. Reddy further said the doctors had noted that the boy is out of danger as no injuries were found on his nerves or spinal cord and that he suffered serious injuries on his neck.
Reddy said the boy responded to doctors' instructions of raising his hand and leg.
Meanwhile, the TTD asked the Forest department to reconstruct the incident and probe as to how long the leopard has been roaming in Tirumala.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
