Katni (MP), Dec 30 (PTI) A leopard killed a 10-year-old boy in a village in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday afternoon, sparking panic among the local residents, officials said.
The incident occurred around 1 pm in Ghunnour village, around 60 km from the district headquarters, they said.
The leopard suddenly emerged from a thicket and attacked the boy – Raj Kol, who was playing in the village. The feline pounced on the child, grabbed him in its jaws and ran towards the forest while several villagers were present at the spot, the officials said.
The area borders Umaria district, home to the famous Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve from where a tiger attacked a man and left him injured.
Personnel of the forest department and the district administration rushed to the spot after receiving information and launched an operation to trace the leopard, Forest Divisional Officer Gaurav Sharma said.
The area was cordoned off and teams used pugmarks, drones and other equipment to trace the animal, he added.
Several hours later, the child’s body was recovered from a forest area. The minor victim’s clothes were soaked in blood and doctors later confirmed his death, he said.
Following the incident, the forest department issued an advisory asking villagers to stay in groups, not to allow children to move alone and avoid venturing out at night. Public announcements were made in the village to alert residents.
The search for the leopard is still underway in the forest area and the situation is being closely monitored, officials said. PTI COR LAL NP
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