Stock image of leopard
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A seven-year-old girl was mauled to death by a leopard in Bijnor's Mandauri village, and her half-eaten body was found in a sugarcane field, about 700 metres from her house on Thursday morning, police said. Tanikawent missing around 6:30pm on Wednesday while playing outside her house.

Ravi Kumar, a villager, said, "When she did not return till late, we started looking for her. After spotting blood near the field, we suspected she had been taken by a leopard. We found her body the next day." Circle officer (Dhampur) Abhay Kumar said initial evidence pointed to a wild animal attack. "The post-mortem report confirmed death due to animal bites. Villagers have been asked to take precautions. Further investigation is underway," he said.

Sub-divisional forest officer Gyan Singh confirmed the involvement of a leopard. "Pug marks were found near the site. Forest and police teams are patrolling the area. They have launched combing operations using drones and installed trap cages and cameras.

Forest officials said leopard sightings and attacks in the region have increased during the monsoon.

Waterlogged sugarcane fields, which provide cover and prey, often attract big cats. Mandauri, located near the Gagan river, is among the areas most vulnerable to human-wildlife conflict in the district.

The district's leopard population is estimated at around 500. Since Jan 2023, leopards have killed at least 30 people in the region, mostly women and children, officials said. Most attacks have occurred near farmlands close to rivers or forests, especially during dusk or early morning hours.