Leopard mauls 5-year-old boy to death in Guj's Chhota Udepur

The attack took place when Vansh Rathwa was playing near his house in Umarva village in Pavi Jetpur taluka on Monday evening, said Deputy Conservator of Forests Nilesh Pandya. "The leopard grabbed the child by his neck, and tried to drag him away even as his father pelted stones at the animal to save his child.

A five-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in Gujarat's Chhota Udepur district, a forest department official said Tuesday. The attack took place when Vansh Rathwa was playing near his house in Umarva village in Pavi Jetpur taluka on Monday evening, said Deputy Conservator of Forests Nilesh Pandya.

"The leopard grabbed the child by his neck, and tried to drag him away even as his father pelted stones at the animal to save his child. The boy sustained deep injuries to the neck and died en route to hospital," Pandya said. "Umarva is a revenue village located near a forest area. The leopard may have strayed in search of prey and water. The region has received low rainfall this year," he said.

Pandya said five cages and trap cameras have been placed in the area to capture the leopard and forest staff were keeping vigil..

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