A seven-year-old boy was critically injured in a leopard attack at Isanagar near Dhaurahra range of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district, forest officials said.
The boy, Anil Kumar, was on his way home with his parents and locals from their farm when the big cat, hiding in the crops, pounced on him and tried to drag him away.
Alert locals came to his rescue.
The minor, who sustained head injuries, was rushed to a nearby community health centre and a doctor there referred him to a higher medical facility in Lakhimpur city.
A forest team also rushed to the spot.
Forest Ranger N.K. Chaturvedi said, “The child is battling for his life in hospital. A team is trying to monitor the leopard’s movement near the village.”
