Palakkad: Three-and-a-half-year-old Avanika is still in shock after a terrifying encounter with a leopard that knocked her off the cot while she was fast asleep. The leopard then snatched the family’s pet dog, tied near the cot, and fled. Her parents, though horrified, are relieved that their three children, including Avanika, escaped unharmed.

The wild animal broke into the single-room hut of K. Krishnan and his wife Latha at Elivaal, Akamalavaram in Malampuzha, Palakkad. It tore through the door with its claws, reportedly to prey on the family’s German Shepherd, Rocky, which was tied inside. In its pounce, the leopard knocked Avanika off the cot and grabbed the dog.

Latha, who was sleeping on the floor, woke up to Avanika’s cries and saw the leopard holding the dog in its jaws. She immediately began shouting and gathered her other two children – Pournami (5) and Anirudh (7) – who were also on the cot.

Krishnan, who had been sleeping outside the hut, rushed in on hearing the commotion, but by the time he arrived, the leopard had already leapt out with Rocky.

Avanika sustained a minor leg injury from the fall. Rocky, a gift from the local Anganwadi teacher, had been tied inside at night for safety after the leopard had previously attempted to attack it.

The leopard has been a persistent threat to the people of Akamalavaram. Krishnan’s hut, now in a dilapidated condition, offers little protection. The latest attack has heightened fears among the residents. Thirteen other families in the area face similar dangers. Notably, a solar-powered fence installed in 2017 to deter wild animals was rendered useless due to a lack of maintenance.