Lucknow: A 28-year-old farmer was killed in a leopard attack after the animal dragged him away from the verandah of his house in Mahboobnagar village under Kakaraha forest range in Bahraich early Tuesday morning.According to Katarniaghat divisional forest officer (DFO) Apoorv Dixit, Ram Singh, a farmer, was sleeping on a cot in the verandah outside his house when the leopard attacked him around 3 am and dragged him away.Hearing the commotion, Singh’s family members and villagers rushed out and searched the area.Singh’s body was found in a bush in an agricultural field around 700 metres from his house. The body had injuries consistent with a leopard attack.Forest officials inspected the area and found pugmarks of a leopard.DFO Apoorv Dixit said the forest department provided Rs 10,000 as interim financial assistance to the family. “Formal compensation process has also been initiated, and efforts are on to ensure that the compensation is released as early as possible,” he said.The department has intensified efforts to capture the leopard suspected to have been involved in the attack. According to Dixit, the required permission has been sought from higher authorities to begin an operation to capture the leopard.“Trap cameras are being installed to monitor the animal’s movement, while arrangements are being made for cages and other measures required to capture it,” the DFO said.Dixit said the forest department had rescued nine leopards from different villages in the past six weeks to reduce human-wildlife conflict.The forest department also urged residents to exercise caution, particularly during the night. Villagers have been advised not to venture out alone after dark, avoid moving near forests, bushes and dense vegetation, and keep their homes illuminated.
