A tragic incident of human-wildlife conflict resulted in the death of a five-year-old boy in Gujarat's Amreli district on Sunday. The victim, identified as Sahil Katara (5), was attacked by a leopard near Gopalgram village in the Dhari taluka.
Details of the Tragic Incident
Sahil, a native of Sukhser village in Dahod district, was living with his parents near farmland where they worked as agricultural labourers. The attack occurred around 9 am on Sunday while the child was near the fields and his parents were engaged in morning agricultural chores.
According to officials, a leopard suddenly emerged from the surrounding area and attacked the boy. The animal inflicted severe injuries and dragged the child into a nearby pigeon pea field before abandoning him and fleeing the scene.
Response and Aftermath
Family members and nearby farm workers rushed to the spot after hearing cries. They immediately shifted the injured child to a hospital. However, doctors declared Sahil dead on arrival, stating that the injuries sustained in the leopard attack were fatal.
Farm owner Bhavsang Vaghela, on whose land the family was employed, provided a firsthand account. He stated that the family from Dahod had been working there for a long time. "The child's parents were busy with morning chores when the leopard suddenly appeared and picked up the five-year-old. We raised an alarm and shouted, after which the leopard dropped the child in a nearby pigeon pea field and escaped," Vaghela said.
Forest Department's Action
The forest department has swiftly responded to the incident. Dhari division in-charge assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Pratap Chandu confirmed that three cages have been installed in and around the village to capture the leopard. Forest department teams have also been deployed to track the animal.
"The animal is being closely monitored and efforts are underway to trap it at the earliest," Chandu stated. This move aims to prevent further such tragic incidents in the area, which has seen increased human-animal conflict due to proximity of farmland to forested zones.
