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 the Kakaraha forest range in Bahraich early Tuesday morning, triggering panic among villagers living close to the forest.The victim was identified as Ram Singh, son of Malti Prasad. According to Katarniaghat Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Apoorv Dixit, Singh was sleeping on a cot in the verandah outside his house when the leopard attacked him at around 3 am and dragged him away.Hearing the commotion, Singh’s family members woke up and rushed outside. They found that he was missing and noticed signs indicating that a wild animal had dragged him away. The family, along with villagers, immediately began searching the surrounding area with torches and sticks.After an extensive search, Singh’s body was found in a bush in an agricultural field around 700 metres from his house. The body had sustained severe injuries consistent with a leopard attack.Forest officials reached the spot after receiving information and inspected the area. Pugmarks of a leopard were found near the victim’s house and in the surrounding area, officials said.Mahboobnagar village falls within the Kakaraha range and is located around one kilometre from the Hasuliya forest, making the area vulnerable to the movement of leopards and other wild animals into human habitation.Speaking about the incident, DFO Apoorv Dixit said the Forest Department had immediately provided Rs 10,000 as interim financial assistance to the victim’s family. He said the formal compensation process had also been initiated and efforts were being made to ensure that the compensation due to the family was released as quickly as possible.The department has simultaneously 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 the capture operation in Mahboobnagar.Once permission is received, forest teams will activate traps and begin the operation, he said.“Trap cameras are also 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 latest incident was part of a broader challenge posed by leopard movement in villages adjoining forest areas. He said the Forest Department had rescued nine leopards from different villages during the past six weeks as part of efforts to reduce human-wildlife conflict.“Our effort is to capture leopards as quickly as possible wherever they are found moving in populated areas or agricultural fields,” Dixit said.He added that the department had rescued a leopard from an area close to Mahboobnagar around three weeks ago. The latest incident has prompted officials to step up surveillance in and around the village.The Forest Department has also urged residents to exercise extreme caution, particularly at night. Villagers have been advised not to venture out alone after dark, avoid moving near forests, bushes and dense vegetation, and keep adequate lighting around their homes.Officials have further asked villagers to immediately alert the Forest Department if they spot a leopard or notice signs of its presence.Key changes: “the movement of leopards” instead of “movement of leopards”; “at night” for smoother phrasing; added “the” before DFO in the quote attribution; and changed the headline to sentence case.
