The victim of the recent incident has been identified as Ram Singh, the son of Malti Prasad.
Increased Surveillance After Recent Leopard Incident
Officials have intensified surveillance in villages near forest areas following a recent incident involving leopards. Over the past six weeks, the Forest Department has rescued nine leopards from various villages as part of their initiative to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. Notably, a leopard was rescued near Mahboobnagar about three weeks ago. According to Dixit, the latest event underscores ongoing challenges related to leopard movements in these communities.
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, according to Katarniaghat Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Apoorv Dixit. 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.
Pugmarks of a leopard were found near the victim’s house and in the surrounding area, officials said. The victim was identified as Ram Singh, son of Malti Prasad. 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. Forest officials reached the spot after receiving information and inspected the area.