Pauri: A four-year-old girl was killed in a leopard attack in of Uttarakhand Pauri district, officials said on Friday.
The incident took place around 9 pm on Thursday in Bhatkot village in Pokhra area when the child, Drishti Rawat, was eating near her house with her sister and grandmother. A leopard suddenly grabbed him and ran away towards the forest, they said.
The villagers started a search after the incident and the mutilated body of the child was later found about two kilometers away from the house.
Police and forest department teams reached the spot, but agitated villagers staged a protest, demanding the presence of senior officials, and initially prevented the authorities from removing the body.
On Friday morning, Chaubattakhal Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rekha Arya and Divisional Forest Officer Mahatim Yadav reached the village, after which a post-mortem was conducted near the house and the body was handed over to the family.
Yadav met the girl’s family and assured them of all possible help as per norms.
The Directorate of Forests has launched comprehensive measures to monitor the leopard and to ensure the safety of the residents of the area.
In view of the threat posed by the leopard, an early holiday has been declared for schools in Pokhra and Bironkhal areas.
Block Education Officer Manoj Kumar Joshi said that acting on the directives of District Magistrate Swati S Bhadauria, schools in the affected areas will remain closed on April 4 and 6 to ensure the safety of students.
