GUWAHATI: A six-year-old boy died after he was attacked by a leopard on Friday evening at Adimgiri area, which is part of a reserve forest, in Guwahati.
The locals said that the victim was playing with his friends when the leopard emerged from the jungle. The animal dragged him by biting on his neck but when some people screamed to save his life, it released him and made its way back into the jungle, they added.
The child was rushed to a hospital but the doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Guwahati has seven reserved forests and thier areas have shrunk over a period of time due to encroachments. This is the main reason behind the growing incidents of conflict between leopards and human beings. There have been a number of incidents when irate mobs killed leopards.
Wildlife activists said it was one of the several incidents at Adimgiri since January last year. The incidents occur when the leopards come down the hills in search of livestock.
"The hills are where the leopards live but people have kept encroaching upon them. One will hardly have any idea about the seven reserve forests in Guwahati. The forest department has neither demarcated them nor has it put up any signage. As such, encroachment of forest land is rampant," well-known wildlife activist Mubina Akhtar told this newspaper.
"What is imperative is that we have to learn to live with leopards and not disturb them. Also, the reserve forests need to be demarcated to protect them from further encroachment," she insisted.
A few years ago, she had launched a campaign "Living with Leopards" in the city to create awareness among people. It was funded by the World Wildlife Fund.