Buddhist Monk Eaten Alive by Leopard while Meditating like Buddha in Forest

A Buddhist monk who have been meditating, in a forest (like Gautama Buddha) for almost 48 days, in the Indian state of Maharashtra has been eaten alive by a single adult male leopard, officials of that Indian state has stated.

Rahul Walke (the now dead monk) had been attached to a Buddhist temple which is inside the forest, but he had walked to a spot quite far away from it to meditate.

Rahul Walke had been “meditating under a ‘Bodhi’ tree” following his master the late Gautama Buddha in the Tadoba forest, which is actually a protected leopard reserve, the Indian forest officials have reported to the PTI news agency.

Krisna Tiwari, a senior police officer in the region, told AFP: “His badly mauled body was found further into the forest, indicating the animal tried to drag it along.”

The Tadoba reserve is home to some 88 tigers and a host of other large animals, including leopards, sloth bears, hyenas and honey badgers. As such, local forest officials warn those living in and around the park to exercise caution and avoid venturing too far into the deep forest.

Human-leopard conflict is a common problem in India, which is estimated to be home to between 12,000 and 14,000 of the big cats. As human communities expand into forested and protected areas, confrontations become more regular.

“I would like to tell everyone not to go inside the forest,” GP Narawane, a forest official stated.