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The Leopard That Killed At Least 125 People A Century Ago
The Leopard of Rudraprayag terrorized a region in India for more than eight years
Leopards are majestic big cats that have long captivated the world with their blend of beauty, size, strength and intelligence. Like most wildlife, it’s safest to simply leave them alone and let them live their lives, but of course there are outliers. A noted exception was The Leopard of Rudraprayag, which was credited with killing and eating at least 125 people in India a century ago.
It’s believed that the first human victim of the bloodthirsty Leopard of Rudraprayag was killed in Benji Village in 1918. From there it became the stuff of local terror and legend as more and more people began being found maimed and dead. Over the next eight years, the general area was under constant fear and wariness — many refusing to go out after dark and possibly meeting the deadly cat. Unfortunately, the village was on the route religious pilgrims took to reach sacred shrines located in the nearby mountains, which meant there was a regular (often unsuspecting) stream of travelers at all hours.
It wasn’t just that people were attacked out in the open. The leopard also was noted at various times as going through windows, knocking down doors and even clawing through wall…
