Children save 7-year-old girl from jaws of leopard in UP's Bahraich

PILIBHIT: Displaying courage and presence of mind, seven children, all between nine and 11 years, making loud noises, chased away an adult leopard with sticks and scythes after the feline pounced upon a seven-year-old girl and tried to drag her away into a sugarcane field at a village in Bahraich district.The child suffered canine wounds on her head and claw injuries all over the body, and her condition is currently critical. She was taken to a govt health facility, and later referred to district hospital.The girl's father, Tasabbur Hussain, said, "My daughter, along with half-a-dozen boys, went near a sugarcane farm to mow grass for cattle around 5.30pm on Thursday, when a stray leopard lurking in the area attacked her."The incident took place in Bajpurva, situated near the North Kheri-Katarniaghat wildlife corridor, close to Ekghar bridge over the Bavai river. The village is around 10-km from Dhaurahra forest range of the North Kheri forest division and a similar distance from Katarniaghat forest sanctuary. A forest official said big cats usually stray along the river channel in this area.Hailing the children's courage, divisional forest officer (Bahraich), S Sundaresh, said, "We've now installed 10 camera traps in the area and placed a cage with live bait to trap that leopard to avoid a repeat of such an incident."