A 10-year-old boy has died after a leopard grabbed him by the neck in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, India. The incident occurred in a forest range near Babaganj village on Thursday, July 23.
The child left his home at around 5:30pm and was attacked about 300 metres from the village. The leopard dragged him towards bushes before locals rushed to the scene, causing the predator to release the boy and flee. The boy later died from his injuries, and his body was sent for autopsy at around 8pm.
Fourth fatality in 11 days
Forest range officer Mobin Arif confirmed this was the fourth fatal big cat attack in Kheri district in the last 11 days, with the first occurring on July 13. Previous victims include a 60-year-old, a 50-year-old, and a 45-year-old, all killed by tigers.
Fellow officer Bhupendra Singh said forest teams have been deployed and CCTV cameras installed to monitor the animal’s movements. Traps have also been set, including two cages with live bait. Pug marks found at the scene confirmed the involvement of a leopard.
Compensation for family
The victim’s family is expected to receive compensation: Rs 5 lakh from the government, Rs 5 lakh from the state disaster relief fund, and Rs 5 lakh from the forest department.
