Leopard Drags Away 10-Year-Old Child In Front Of Friends Playing On Road, Victim Dies

A leopard in India reportedly attacked and dragged away a 10-year-old boy, who was playing with his friends on a road near a village.

The incident took place Monday morning in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Local officials said the victim was with a group of other minor boys when the leopard attacked them, IANS reported. The leopard grabbed one of the boys and mauled him to death, while the others fled for their lives.

The boys then alerted the villagers, who rushed to the scene and tried to capture the animal, NDTV reported. However, they were not successful. The body of the victim was found at the scene. Authorities also said another child was injured in the incident. However, the extent of the injury was not immediately clear.

Meanwhile, Forest Development Corporation manager V.C. Meshram told local media a rescue team arrived at the scene from the Pench National Park to tranquilize and capture the leopard. Meshram also said villagers have surrounded the leopard in an area, but were advised not to harm the animal. As of Tuesday morning, the leopard had not been captured by forest officials.

According to local media, the latest incident is the fourth such attack within two months in the district when leopards mauled villagers to death. On Oct. 19, a 50-year-old woman was killed by a leopard when she was cutting paddy along with other women in a field in Ugli village.

Leopard and human conflict has seen a rise in the state and other parts of the country recently as more land is being used for farming, making people come in close contact with the animals in their natural habitat. This has not only increased fatalities among humans, but also among leopards as many animals have been killed due to the threats they pose.

According to the Hindustan Times, 56 leopards have been found dead in Madhya Pradesh in the first eight months of this year. Official data showed in the past five years until 2021, 255 leopards were found dead in the state. Many of these cases have also been linked to poaching.