The hunt is on for a man-eating leopard, which has so far killed three children in India.
50 hunters have been sent into the wild to track down and either kill or capture the animal which is roaming in Baramulla, North Kashmir of India.
Authorities ordered for the animal to be killed following the discovery of the bodies in three separate incidents in the Jammu and Kashmir region of northern India.
The youngest victim is a 10-year-old girl named Rutba Manzoor, whose body was recovered from woodland close to her home in the Uri area on Tuesday.
After a search to find the man-eating animal in the dense forest failed, the rescue team made a tragic discovery. Her death sparked furious protests, with Rutba’s relatives blocking the Srinagar to Uri highway over the alleged inaction by the wildlife department.
The body of 12-year-old Shahid Ahmed was found on Sunday evening after he went missing while out grazing his family’s cattle.
While on Saturday, another boy, Muneer Ahmad, 15, was also mauled to death after suffering injuries consistent with a wild animal attack.
These killings have prompted locals to call for action and hold protests to prevent further attacks in the future.
The local administration advised the general public not to let their children alone in the nearby forest.
Along with this, school children were also asked to go to school only after 9 in the morning so that such incidents in public could be avoided.
Meanwhile, wildlife officials have launched a massive hunt to trap or eliminate the predator.
The wildlife department has sought the cooperation of the local police and the Forest Protection Force (FPF).
Rashid Naqash, regional Wildlife Protection Warden, said he is confident they will soon catch the leopard.
He told the Kashmir Observer: “This is a coordinated operation with forest protection, Jammu and Kashmir police, and locals who are trying to catch or kill the animal.”
Naqash said officials have provided tranquilizers, cages, and other equipment to “eliminate” the leopard, with sharpshooters deployed in the woods.
However, he warned that the cat is an “unpredictable” animal that can strike anywhere at any time.
“So it is important to take precaution and be aware,” he added.
