Mbah Sugini’s Remarkable Feat: Chasing Off a Leopard with a Sandal

An elderly woman, Sugini, has amazed residents of Plalar hamlet, Tengklik village, Tawangmangu district, Karanganyar regency, Central Java, after successfully chasing a leopard that entered her home using nothing but a sandal.

The incident happened at about 1am on Wednesday (21 October). Forest and land fires on the slopes of Mount Lawu have driven wild animals down towards residential areas. Several residents’ goats have also been killed by a wild animal believed to be a leopard.

Sugini was the first resident to notice the animal inside the settlement. Her grandson, Rizal, recounted the tense moment.

“Grandma was in her room when she heard what sounded like a cat growling. It just wouldn’t stop, even though she had banged on things to scare it,” said Rizal, 20, as quoted by detik on Monday (26 October).

When Sugini left her room, she saw the large animal. She threw a sandal at it, and it fled through a window near the cattle pen, breaking the glass.

“Then Grandma came out of her room and saw the large animal. She grabbed a sandal and threw it at the leopard. It panicked and tried to jump through this window [the kitchen window with the white glass]. Since it couldn’t get out that way, she threw the sandal again. It panicked, ran towards the cattle pen, broke the window near it and escaped,” Rizal said.

Rizal said the animal that entered the house had characteristics resembling a black panther: black fur, fangs, a long tail and a body about the size of a goat.

After it left, Rizal checked the pen and found a goat in critical condition, with bite wounds to its neck.

The animal’s appearance is believed to be connected to forest and land fires on the slopes of Mount Lawu, which may have driven wildlife closer to settlements. Tawangmangu district head Eko Joko Widodo said at least five residents’ goats had been found dead with bite wounds.

“Whatever it was, livestock died, whether attacked by a leopard or something else. There were bite marks. Five goats, all inside the pen,” Eko said.