5 November 2026 | Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand
Two separate leopard attacks in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district on Tuesday evening, November 3, left a young girl dead and another injured, triggering fear and anger among residents and renewed demands for urgent intervention by the Forest Department.
The fatal attack occurred near Khandyusain, close to Pauri town, while the second incident was reported from the Saneh Talli area of Kotdwar. The two incidents underline the growing safety concerns in settlements where leopards are entering areas close to homes.
Young Girl Killed Near Khandyusain
In the first incident, a leopard attacked a young girl who was playing in the courtyard of her home in the Ojali area near Khandyusain, along the Pauri–Devprayag road.
The animal reportedly dragged the child towards nearby bushes. Family members and villagers raised an alarm and began searching for her. Her body was subsequently found in bushes approximately 100 metres from the house.
The incident sparked widespread anger among local residents, who alleged that leopard movement in the area had been a continuing concern.
Mother Rescues Eight-Year-Old Daughter in Kotdwar
In a separate attack in Saneh Talli, Kotdwar, an eight-year-old girl, identified as Saanvi, was attacked by a leopard while playing near her home.
Her mother, Neelam Devi, heard her daughter’s cries and rushed after the animal. Her intervention reportedly forced the leopard to release the child and flee.
Saanvi sustained injuries to her neck and leg and was admitted to Base Hospital in Kotdwar. Reports said she was out of danger.
Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker and Kotdwar MLA Ritu Khanduri Bhushan visited the injured girl at the hospital and spoke to forest officials about safety measures in the affected area.
Protests and Demands for Immediate Action
The fatal attack near Khandyusain prompted strong protests from villagers, who demanded immediate action against the leopard and better protection for people living in the area.
Residents expressed concern over the presence of leopards near residential settlements and demanded increased patrolling, monitoring and capture measures.
Forest officials reached the affected areas and initiated patrols. According to reports, the Garhwal Forest Division also sought the necessary approval from senior wildlife authorities to take further action against the leopard involved in the fatal incident.
A Wider Human-Leopard Conflict Challenge
The two attacks highlight the persistent challenge of human-leopard conflict in Uttarakhand’s hill districts.
Leopards are highly adaptable carnivores and can survive in landscapes where forests, agricultural land and human settlements overlap. The presence of livestock, stray dogs, dense vegetation around houses and declining human activity in some abandoned villages can bring these predators closer to people.
Children are particularly vulnerable when playing outdoors or moving around homes without adult supervision. However, the responsibility for reducing risk cannot rest on families alone. Forest authorities need to identify recurring conflict locations, strengthen surveillance, remove conditions that attract leopards to settlements and respond rapidly to sightings.
Capture or lethal action against a particular animal should be based on proper identification and assessment by wildlife authorities. At the same time, immediate protection of residents must remain a priority.
The deaths and injuries caused by such encounters are a reminder that coexistence requires more than awareness campaigns. It calls for effective local monitoring, rapid-response teams and sustained measures to make villages safer.
Source: The Times of India; PTI report carried by IBC24; The New Indian Express.
Last Updated: 5 November 2026
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