8yo boy killed by leopard near Katarniaghat sanctuary; 3rd fatality of minor in less than 3 months

Pilibhit: An eight-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in Bahraich's Azamgarh Purva village, about 900 metres from Nishangarha forest range of Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, officials said Saturday. The child was playing in the open yard of his home around 7pm on Friday when the attack took place. This is the third fatal leopard attack on children in the district in less than three months. According to the boy's father, Ram Vilas, the leopard, which had been lurking in nearby fields, suddenly entered the yard, grabbed the boy by the neck, and dragged him to a nearby wheat field. Hearing the boy's screams, family members and villagers rushed to the scene, making loud noises."The leopard sensed a threat and released him before disappearing into the fields," Vilas claimed. The boy sustained severe injuries to his neck and throat, along with claw marks on his face. He was taken to a local govt medical facility but was declared dead on arrival by the doctors.Following the incident, villagers staged a dharna on the village road, placing the boy's body at the site of the protest. Police were allowed to remove the body only after forest officials assured that action would be taken to capture the leopard and compensation would be provided to the family.Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Apoorv Dixit, said patrolling had been intensified in the area, but villagers did not heed safety advisories. "We conducted two awareness camps in this village on Feb 24 and 28 to educate residents about leopard safety," he noted.The DFO added that camera traps had been installed along the leopard's trails and a live-bait cage had been placed to capture the animal. "If the leopard is spotted near the village again, we will seek permission from the state's chief wildlife warden to tranquillise and relocate it," he said.The victim's family is set to receive compensation of Rs 5 lakh, with the case being referred to the state forest administration. Meanwhile, villagers highlighted frequent night-time power cuts in the area as a contributing factor to the frequent wildlife intrusions in human settlements.Principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife), Anuradha Vemuri, told TOI that forest authorities are coordinating with private companies to install solar streetlights in vulnerable villages. She also instructed the DFO to engage with the electricity department to address the power issues in the village.This incident follows two recent fatal leopard attacks in the district. On Dec 19, a seven-year-old girl named Aleem was killed by a leopard in village Ayodhya Purva while playing outside her home. On Feb 5, another eight-year-old boy, Arun, was killed in village Nishad Nagar in a similar attack.