Leopard Attack in Uttarakhand Village Leaves 5-Year-Old Boy Missing
A horrifying incident unfolded in Sindrawani village of Rudraprayag district on Tuesday evening when a leopard snatched away a five-year-old boy from his front yard. The victim, identified as Daksh Singh, was with his mother when the stray big cat dragged him into the nearby forest, according to family members.
Second Big Cat Incident in February Sparks Panic
This alarming event marks the second leopard-related incident in Uttarakhand this month, heightening concerns among local residents. Village head Pushpa Devi expressed the community's distress, stating that villagers are living in constant fear following the attack.
"His father says that he was with his mom and, in front of her eyes, his son was snatched away by the leopard," Devi recounted, highlighting the traumatic nature of the incident.
Massive Search Operation Underway
Authorities have launched a joint search and rescue operation involving multiple agencies:
- Disaster management team
- Local police force
- District administration officials
- Forest department team from Rudraprayag
Mahatim Yadav, the DFO in-charge of Rudraprayag forest division, confirmed that "The rescue operation to find the boy is on for now, until we find him..." Despite immediate efforts by locals to locate the missing child, the search has so far yielded no results.
Separate Leopard Capture in Nearby Area
In a related development, authorities successfully trapped a six-year-old leopardess on Tuesday in Pabo village. This same animal had attacked a villager on January 18, raising concerns about increasing human-wildlife conflicts in the region.
Yadav provided an update on the captured leopardess: "The leopardess is medically fit, and currently under observation. A decision will be taken soon regarding moving it to another site."
The back-to-back incidents have intensified discussions about wildlife management and safety measures in Uttarakhand's forest-adjacent communities, with residents calling for more effective strategies to prevent such tragic encounters.
