Leopard that 'killed two kids in horror attack' is caught and put down
A man-eating leopard suspected of killing at least two children in a horror attack in India has been seized and put down following a manhunt lasting more than two weeks.
The wild cat was linked to the deaths of a three-year-old boy and another child in the Rajwar Handwara area of Kupwara, North Kashmir, as well as other attacks leaving several others injured over the last two months. Officials in the region now claimed to have caught the leopard after the spate of attacks left thousands living in terror.
It comes after the toddler, named as Burhan Ahmed, was killed after an attack outside his home in the region near the Pakistan border on Monday morning. Locals recounted how the youngster's brave parents sprang to action, prising him from the cat's jaws, before he tragically succumbed to his injuries.
Wildlife authorities ambushed the big cat on Tuesday evening in Nichama Rajwar, Kashmir, killing it on the spot. It followed a search lasting 15 days in which the leopard's movements were closely tracked and search parties camped outdoors.
Authorities in Kashmir, India, have captured and killed a leopard suspected of several attacks, including on two children (stock image) (AFP via Getty Images)Syed Tariq, one of the team members who helped neutralise the beast, said they were stunned to discover the leopard was a small and relatively young female. He said: "She appeared precisely where she had recently chosen her victim and viciously attacked the innocent.
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"It is a well-known fact that when a leopard strikes, she often returns to the same location to hunt another prey." While leopard attacks on humans are extremely rare, locals say the number has been increasing in recent months.
Hunters believe the leopard's small stature meant the two children killed were able to be easily found, as her small jaw meant she wasn't able to carry them away. In footage showing the beast's capture, shouts can be heard telling officials to put her into a nearby cow shed.
One elderly man can be heard asking one captor the sex of the animal, to which he replies: "It is a female". One of the men in the clip says: "If the leopard had been fully grown, it would not have released its victims.
"Even if four people had pursued the beast to recover the bodies, it would have immediately retreated into the woods to devour them. However, this particular leopard was unable to transport the bodies due to its limited strength."
Another man in the footage asks whether the leopard was "the one who has killed our children", as another responded, "yes, she is the one who has killed two minors". Little Burhan had been dragged more than 100 metres in the attack at around 8am local time on Monday.
The tot was rushed to a nearby hospital. However, the medical professionals there sadly declared him dead. The horrific attack left the community in shock and terror.
Traumatised residents urged the Indian government to take immediate action to prevent further attacks. It follows a second attack on a six-year-old girl also killed by a leopard in the Kupwara region last month. The young girl had been playing in a courtyard when she was mauled.
One local said: "We are not able to venture out late in the evening. Our kids are not safe at all. We are living in constant fear as wild animals keep prowling in the area." Another resident added: "From the last two years, it is the fifth incident now in Nichama (two killed, two injured). We appeal to the government to look into this matter."
Earlier this year, one leopard caused chaos after breaking into a courtroom in Uttar Pradesh and going on a rampage that injured several people. A separate rampage in another village in the region in May left six wounded and, in December last year, 15 people were injured after a leopard attacked a village in Assam, northeast India.
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