A 10-year-old boy was killed in a leopard attack in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh, adding to the growing number of fatalities linked to human-leopard conflict in the region. According to forest officials, the latest incident has pushed the death toll from leopard attacks in Bijnor since 2023 to 37, raising serious concerns over the increasing frequency of encounters between people and wildlife.
The attack reportedly occurred when the child was near his village, where the leopard suddenly emerged from nearby vegetation and attacked. Local residents rushed to the spot after hearing cries for help, but the boy succumbed to his injuries before he could be saved.
Following the incident, the Forest Department launched an intensive search operation to track the leopard. Teams have deployed camera traps, increased ground patrols and are closely monitoring the animal’s movement. Officials have appealed to villagers to avoid venturing into agricultural fields or forest fringes alone, especially during dawn and dusk, when leopards are most active.
Wildlife experts believe that habitat fragmentation, shrinking forest cover, abundant stray prey and expanding human settlements have contributed to the rising incidents of human-leopard conflict in western Uttar Pradesh. They stress that improved habitat management, scientific monitoring, community awareness and rapid response teams are essential to reducing such tragic encounters.
The latest fatality once again highlights the urgent need for effective conflict mitigation measures that safeguard both human lives and India’s protected leopard population while promoting peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife.
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