Girl killed by leopard in Gujarat's Amreli district

Amreli, Oct 28 (PTI) A 5-year-old girl was killed by a leopard in Gujarat's Amreli district on Saturday, an official said.

The incident took place in Paniyadev village at around 10:30am, Range Forest Officer Jyoti Vaja said.

"The deceased was the daughter of farm labourers. A leopard pounced on her when she was playing. Her parents and others raised an alarm, which resulted in the leopard dropping her and fleeing. However, she died due to severe neck injuries," Vaja said.

"People consume meat and leave parts of it outside, which attracts leopards and other wild animals, resulting in such attacks. We are raising awareness among locals about non-vegetarian food being left around in this manner," the official said.

Amreli district has witnessed several deaths in leopard attacks. On October 14, a woman was killed Wadala village in Talala taluka.

Gujarat has seen a rise in its leopard population, with the latest census putting their numbers at 2,274 in 2023, a 63 per cent rise from 1,395 in 2016. PTI COR KA BNM BNM