A man-eating leopard (not pictured) is apparently targeting drunk people (Picture: Reuters)

Drunk people appear to be being targeted by a man-eating leopard that has already claimed 12 lives.

The animal was accused of stalking drunk villagers in the Himalayas by locals, who now say they are afraid to venture out at night.

‘Villagers are terrorised by the wild animals and it’s almost impossible to venture out after dark,’ Madan Paneru, who lives in Kotali village, told the Telegraph.

He added: ‘Moving from one village to another or to markets through forested area becomes difficult.


‘People carry sticks with them and remain alert all the time. Many in the village believe that drunk people are easy prey for the wild.’



Belinda Wright, chief of India’s Wildlife Protection Society, said: ‘Quite frankly when people are drunk and weave their way back home to the village they are easy prey,’ Belinda Wright added.

‘I don’t think the leopard is targeting drunk people, just people stumbling along the path at night.’

However, she added that it was unlikely the leopard was specifically targeting people who were drunk.