Leopard attack in Bahraich forest village, mother rescues child after struggle

A five-year-old boy was attacked by a leopard near his home in a village under Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, but was rescued by his mother after a struggle.

A five-year-old boy was attacked by a leopard near his home in a village under Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary on Thursday, but was rescued after a struggle by his mother, officials said.

Divisional Forest Officer Apoorv Dixit told PTI that the incident occurred around 8 am in Teliyanpurwa village of Barkhadia gram panchayat when a leopard emerging from a sugarcane field attacked the child, Mohit.

In the attempt to save Mohit, his mother, Meena Devi, 32, and a local resident, Umesh, 26, also sustained injuries.

All three were treated at a community health centre and later discharged, he said, adding that none of the injuries was serious. The child's mother suffered multiple scratches while fighting the leopard.

The forest department has sought permission to install a cage in the area to trap the animal and is also sensitising villagers to move in groups while going to fields, the DFO said.