Gujarat: 7-year-old girl killed in leopard attack

Authorities set up cage traps in Amreli district to catch the big cat

Amreli: A 7-year-old girl has been mauled to death by a leopard in Gujarat‘s Amreli district, prompting authorities to set up cage traps in the area to catch the big cat, officials said on Monday.

The leopard attacked the girl while she was accompanying her parents working at a cotton field in Chitrasar village on Sunday evening, Range Forest Officer, Rajula, GL Vaghela said. The girl suffered serious injuries on her neck and died after being taken to a hospital at Jafrabad in the district, the official said.

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The forest department has formed eight teams and set up cages in the surrounding areas to capture the feline, he said.

Rajula MLA Hira Solanki said he has instructed forest officials to take immediate action to cage the leopard that attacked the girl. “I have also demanded that the government take proactive action, cage the leopards (venturing into human habitats) and shift them to forest areas so as to avoid man-animal conflict,” he said in a video statement.

“Villagers are scared and concerned because of the increase in leopard attacks. They think twice before venturing into cotton farms in the region,” the legislator said.