Bahraich (UP), Jan 16 (PTI) An eight-year-old girl was killed in a leopard attack in a village near the Katarniaghat Wildlife Division here, officials said on Thursday.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) B Shiv Shankar said the incident took place on Wednesday afternoon when the girl, identified as Shalini, was in a field with her parents and some other children in Tamolinpurwa village.
The leopard emerged from a nearby sugarcane field and grabbed Shalini. Hearing the commotion, her mother and other villagers armed with sticks and farming tools chased the animal away, but Shalini succumbed to injuries, he said.
“Immediate assistance of Rs 10,000 has been provided to the grieving family. Further financial aid will be granted following the investigation and postmortem report,” Shankar said.
Police and forest department officials reached the site and sent the body for postmortem. The forest department has set up a cage in the area to capture the leopard and is monitoring its movements.
“We have advised villagers to remain vigilant and work in groups when heading to the fields,” added the DFO.
Over the past year, there have been seven leopard attacks in villages adjacent to the Katarniaghat forest.
On January 19, 2024, 11-year-old Ayesha from Ayodhya Purwa village was killed in a similar attack. In another incident on May 1, 2024, eight-year-old Shama from Dharmapur lost her life. On June 13, 2024, six-year-old Shahid from Dharmapur also fell victim to a leopard attack.
On July 12, 2024, Arvind Kumar, aged 13, from Manoharpurwa, was killed in a similar manner. On September 30, 2024, 32-year-old Kanhai Lal from Dharmapur became another victim.
The most recent incident occurred on November 15, 2024, when five-year-old Abhinandan from Seetaram Purwa was killed by a leopard.
Ten days ago, a seven-year-old girl in Rampurwa Bankati village was injured in a leopard attack while sleeping in her courtyard. Villagers managed to chase away the animal.
The forest department has urged villagers in the area to remain cautious and avoid venturing alone to forested or field areas. PTI COR KIS RHL RHL
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