Leopard kills five-year-old girl in Junagadh village

Junagadh: A five-year-old girl was killed in a leopard attack at Dedkiyal village in Mendarda taluka of Junagadh late Wednesday night, triggering fear and anger among local residents.

The incident occurred around 11 pm on September 23, when Prisha, whose family works as sharecroppers on a farm owned by Thobhanbhai Korat, was playing in the courtyard. A leopard reportedly pounced on her and dragged her towards the nearby fields.

Villagers and family members launched a search and found the girl’s body in a soybean field nearly two hours later.

The family has refused to accept the body until the leopard is captured. The girl’s uncle, Ketanbhai Solanki, demanded government assistance of Rs 25 lakh and said the family wanted the animal caught before proceeding with the last rites.

Following the incident, the Forest Department launched a search operation and deployed 30-35 personnel from four ranges. Officials have set up 10 cages in an effort to capture the leopard.

H.D. Galchar, Range Forest Officer of Dedkiyal range, said the department received information about the attack and immediately coordinated with local residents and the Devaliya range. Staff from surrounding ranges were subsequently deployed for the operation.

Meanwhile, villagers have alleged that the Forest Department reached the spot around two hours after being informed, leading to anger among residents and the victim’s family. Galchar, however, denied any delay and said forest staff were already conducting a search operation. DeshGujarat