Udaipur: 'Man-eater' leopard kills 7th victim in 12 days
What's the story
A leopard in the Gogunda area of Udaipur, Rajasthan, has claimed its seventh human victim within a span of 12 days.
The latest attack occurred on Tuesday morning at Kelvo ka Kheda village, where a 55-year-old woman named Kamala Kunwar was killed.
Following this incident, the Rajasthan Wildlife Department has declared the leopard a "man-eater" and issued orders to kill it on sight.
Attack aftermath
Leopard attack details and victim's identity revealed
Kunwar was reportedly cleaning her courtyard when the leopard attacked her around 8:00am dragging her approximately 100 meters from her home.
Despite the presence of cattle, the leopard targeted Kunwar—a behavior observed in previous incidents as well.
The first known attack by this particular leopard took place on September 18 when it targeted a young girl tending to goats.
Official response
Wildlife officials issue 'shoot on sight' order for leopard
Chief Wildlife Warden Pawan Kumar Upadhyay has confirmed that orders have been issued to kill the leopard due to its increasingly dangerous behavior.
"It has become difficult to catch the leopard, and the series of deaths shows that it has become a man-eater. Hence, we have decided to shoot the leopard," Upadhyay stated.
He also revealed that Army personnel have been deployed for this task, with support from local police forces and villagers.
Public outcry
Local residents protest, refuse to cremate latest victim
The rising number of leopard attacks has led to protests by local residents who tried to block National Highway 27.
SP Yogesh Goyal managed to convince them to disperse, but they are still refusing to cremate Kunwar's body.
Separately, forest officials have set up cages at six different spots and installed cameras to keep an eye on the leopard's movements.
Locals are also using traditional methods, like playing dhols (drums), to lure the leopard out of hiding.