A 3-year-old child died on Saturday evening after she was attacked by a leopard, believed to be the same animal behind three suspected attacks on five persons that has led to the death of two individuals in Kolapally in Pandalur over the last few weeks.
On Saturday, Nancy was playing in a tea estate in Mango Estate in the Bitherkad Forest Range when the leopard attacked her. The girl was rescued by onlookers and was rushed to hospital, but died due to the severe nature of her injuries.
Police officials said she was the daughter of migrant workers living and working as estate laborers in the area. The attack on Nancy is the latest of three separate attacks by a leopard since December 21. In the first incident, three women were attacked. One of them died in Coimbatore a few days later.
On Friday, another child is said to have been attacked by the leopard and escaped with minor injuries. The Forest Department had already attempted to trap the animal using a cage, with bait placed inside, but was unsuccessful. However, after the attack on the child on Friday, the Chief Wildlife Warden had granted permission to the Gudalur forest division to tranquilise and relocate the animal, and efforts to safely contain the animal were ongoing when it attacked Nancy.
Following the attack, local residents blocked roads and demanded that the animal be killed, leading to heavy police presence in the area. Kommu Omkaram, District Forest Officer (Gudalur division), said the leopard had been found and had been hit with a tranquiliser dart by veterinarians, and that the Forest Department is trying to locate the animal as it fled after being hit with the dart. “We request the public to ensure access of roads as blockage of roads will severely affect our operations to capture the leopard,” he said, in a statement.
