Leopard kills two-year-old child in Nainital

HALDWANI: A two-year-old child was killed by a leopard in Nainital district on Friday evening, said forest officials.

Bhupal Singh Mehta, range officer of Manora forest, Nainital, said the incident occurred in Chopra Matiyali village at Jeolikote around evening when the child was playing in the courtyard of his house. “Twoyear-old Raghav Rana was playing in the courtyard of his house on Friday evening when leopard sneaked into the place and pounced on him, dragging him towards the forests area,” Mehta said.

As the boy’s four-year-old elder brother started weeping, his mother came out from kitchen and asked for Raghav. Then his grandmother told the family members that she saw a leopard in house. On this, the family started searching for the child, officials said. Meanwhile, locals informed the police and forest officials about the incident. Police and the forest team rushed to the spot and started search for the child in nearby forests. “On Saturday morning, the boy’s hand and head were found in the forests of Dogaon area, two kms from his house. It is suspected that the rest of the body parts have been devoured by the leopard,” he added.

“We are planning to set up three cages at the boy’s house and install camera traps near the place where the incident took place,” Mehta said. “The victim’s family will be sanctioned ₹3 lakh as ex-gratia from the state forest department.”

“A letter has been written by the DFO to chief wildlife warden to declare the leopard as a maneater,” he added.