Wild black panther prowls Bhatkal neighbourhood, narrowly misses attacking elderly resident

A terrifying encounter with a wild black panther sent shockwaves through Nawayath Colony in Bhatkal on Saturday night. A 60-year-old man, Hassan, had a brush with death after the big cat lunged at him as he walked home from evening prayers at around 8:30 pm near Maryam Ali Masjid.

Hassan was returning after offering Isha prayers when the panther, which had apparently been hiding close by, suddenly sprang at him. The force of the attack caused him to lose his footing and fall to the ground.

“I was standing outside when I saw the black panther going after my father, he fell down. I ran straight at it and the moment it saw me, it turned and disappeared into the bushes within seconds.” Shafi, son of the victim

His son Shafi, who happened to be outside at the time, spotted the attack and sprinted toward his father. The panther, startled by Shafi’s sudden approach, bolted and vanished into nearby bushes, giving Hassan a lucky escape.

News of the incident spread fast, drawing large crowds to the area. Within roughly an hour, a second sighting was reported. Another resident, Basheer Ahmed, who lives about 200 metres from the mosque, stepped outside his home to find the same panther crouched nearby. The animal fled when it noticed him, but the back-to-back sightings deepened alarm across the neighbourhood.

Forest Department teams arrived quickly and launched a search operation that stretched late into the night. Officials burst firecrackers in an attempt to push the animal back toward the forest and swept the area from behind Maryam Ali Masjid all the way to the nearby Mango Farm and surrounding woodland. Despite hours of searching with powerful torches, the panther was not found.

A forest official, speaking off the record, suggested the panther most likely wandered into the residential area through the Kadvinakatte route, having strayed from the Sagar Road forest reserve.

It later emerged that this was not the first sign of the panther’s presence in the area. A local youth named Abdul Rahman said he came face to face with what appeared to be the same animal two days earlier while fishing along the Heggal River on Thursday evening. He sensed something behind him, turned around, and shone his torch, only to find the panther standing just a few feet away, seemingly ready to attack. It fled with a loud growl the moment the light hit it.

Local social activist Naufil Kharuri said the panther has likely been roaming the area for four to five days after wandering out of the nearby forest. He pointed to an unusual sign: the stray dogs that normally roam in large numbers between Maryam Ali Masjid, Muzammil Masjid, and the Kargedde area had completely vanished since the sightings began, a telling sign of a predator moving through the zone.

With the animal still at large, residents are on edge. Many parents said they are worried about letting their children travel to school. At the same time, groups of young people were seen riding motorcycles through the area late at night, flashing torches into bushes and trees hoping to spot the panther, a behaviour that prompted authorities to issue a public warning, urging everyone to stay cautious and avoid taking unnecessary risks.

Forest officials have said they will continue their search and are monitoring the area closely.