Leopard kills six-year-old boy in Maligaon, Guwahati

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Beware! Leopards are on the prowl in Guwahati. A six-year-old boy – Shivam Kumar – came under attack from a leopard when was playing in the afternoon near his residence at Adingiri in the Maligaon area in city on Friday. Even as the big cat left the boy and fled people their raised a hue and cry and rushed to the spot, the boy was inflicted with severe injuries. He was immediately admitted to a private hospital where he breathed his last.

The forest officials laid a trap on Saturday to cage the leopard.

6-year-old boy mauled to death by leopard in Assam.

IANS adds: "The leopard dragged Shivam Kumar by grabbing his neck when the child was playing with his friends outside his home at Adingiri on Friday. The leopard let the boy go and disappeared in the hills after the people chased the animal and raised a hue and cry," eyewitnesses told the media.

Forest officials refused to talk to the media about the incident.

Earlier also several people were injured after being attacked by leopards in Maligaon and the adjoining areas.

Wildlife activists said that the habitats of leopards and other wild animals have been shrinking over the decades due to encroachment by the people leading to man-animal conflict.

There have also been incidents in the recent past when angry mobs killed leopards and other wild animals.

Wildlife activist Mubina Akhtar said that the hills are where the leopards live but people have been encroaching upon their habitats.

"There are seven reserve forest areas adjoining Guwahati city. The Forest department has neither demarcated them properly nor has it put up any signs or notice boards, resulting in encroachment of forest land," Akhtar told IANS over phone.

She said: "Since 2010, men and wild animal conflicts are rising in Guwahati areas. However, authorities are doing nothing to stop such incidents."  

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