A tragic incident unfolded in Matana village of Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district, where a two-year-old boy lost his life to a leopard attack on Monday evening. The incident has raised concerns among locals and officials about the safety of residents in the region.
The unfortunate incident occurred around 9 pm when the toddler, identified as the son of Ramesh Jadhav, was playing near his residence. The swift and sudden attack by the leopard resulted in the feline dragging the child away from the safety of his home, according to a forest official’s statement.
After an exhaustive search, the young victim’s body was discovered concealed within bushes, approximately 500 meters away from the Jadhav residence. Veraval in-charge range forest officer Khiman Pampaniya confirmed the retrieval of the boy’s body from the bushes.
Khiman Pampaniya commented on the incident, stating, “The incident occurred at Matana village, falling within the Veraval range forest. According to villagers, the leopard dragged the child approximately 500 meters from his house.” This shocking incident has left the local community deeply concerned for their safety.
Local accounts indicate that there have been sightings of three to four leopards in the surrounding area. In response to the alarming situation, authorities have initiated measures to address the issue. “We have already set up three cages and plan to install three more to capture the feline responsible for this tragic event,” Pampaniya confirmed.
The unfortunate episode in Matana village is not an isolated occurrence. Just ten days prior to this incident, a 65-year-old woman met a similar fate as she fell victim to a leopard attack in the same region. Forest officials have raised alarms, revealing that at least six people have lost their lives in leopard-related incidents over the past six months.
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Haseena Ayoob is a regular contributor of The Chenab Times.
