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Lakhimpur Kheri, Oct 9 (IANS) A quiet evening in Rannagar village turned tragic when 12-year-old girl Preet Kaur was fatally attacked by a leopard when she was returning home with her aunt after a doctor’s appointment.
Forest officials confirmed that the incident occurred under the North Nighasan forest range and is the fourth leopard-related death in the district in just ten days.
According to eyewitnesses, the leopard was hiding in a nearby sugarcane field and attacked Preet without any warning and dragged him into the dense crop. His aunt raised an alarm, due to which the villagers reached the spot.
Although their presence forced the animal to flee, the girl had already succumbed to her injuries. Forest officials responded quickly. Range officer Bhupendra Singh confirmed the death and said teams have been dispatched to assess the situation.
“We have received information about the incident and our team is at the spot,” he said.
DFO (buffer zone) Naveen Khandelwal said, “Nets and camera traps are being set up to catch the leopard. The forest department is actively monitoring the area.”
DFO (South Kheri) Sanjay Viswal observed an alarming increase in leopard activity, especially in the Sardanagar range.
“The sugarcane crop this season is unusually long, providing ideal shelter for leopards. We estimate that seven to eight leopards are currently active near human settlements,” he said.
This latest tragedy follows three other fatal attacks further afield: September 27: Radha (9) was murdered in Raja Rampurwa village in the Sardarnagar range. October 5: Munna Lal (35) was killed in Lokai Purva village of Dhaurahra range. October 7: Anah (7) lost her life in Khambarkurkhiera village of Sardanagar range.
Preet Kaur (12) was murdered near Ran Nagar village in the North Nighasan range on October 9. The continuous attacks have spread fear and despair among the local people.
Villagers say the dense sugarcane fields bordering the forest areas have become safe havens for leopards, allowing them to wander dangerously close to homes and schools.
A resident of Sardanagar said, “Leopards are often seen around the village. People are afraid of sending their children to school or to the fields alone.”
Over the past year, more than a dozen leopard-related deaths or injuries have been reported in Lakhimpur Kheri.
In response, forest officials have increased patrolling, deployed cages and installed camera traps in sensitive areas. However, increasing human-wildlife conflict is challenging both protection and conservation efforts.
–IANS
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