Gujarat: Minor girl killed in leopard attack in Amreli
A three-year-old girl was mauledto death by a leopard at a village in Gujarats Amrelidistrict, a forest official said on Wednesday.
The incident took place around 9.30 pm on Tuesday inHemal village under Jafrabad taluka when the girl and someother children were playing outside their houses.
A leopard suddenly pounced upon the girl and draggedher away, range forest officer, Jafrabad, G L Vaghela said.
“By the time the family members raised an alarm, thegirl was killed. The leopard left the body and escaped,” theofficial said.
The body was taken to a hospital for post-mortem.
Two cages were immediately set up in the area to trapthe big cat, the official said.
“We will set up more cages to trap the leopard,” headded.
In the last five years, leopards attacked 718 peoplein Gujarat, killing 67 of them, Forest Minister Ganpat Vasavasaid in the state Assembly last week.
Most of the attacks were reported from Amreli,Junagadh, Gir-Somnath and Dahod districts, which accounted for55 of the total 67 fatalities, he said.
As per the 2016 census,there were 1,395 leopards inGujarat.
To control the population of leopards, the state hassought the Centres permission for sterilising the animals,the nod for which is awaited, the minister said.
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