Girl mauled to death by leopard in J&K

A 12-year-old girl was mauled to death by a leopard, while a bear was shot dead by security forces in separate incidents in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, police and wild life officials said today.
Ulfat Jan, a resident of Syed Mohalla locality of Dardpora, was attacked and killed by the leopard which ventured into her village in Kupwara district last evening, a police spokesman said.
He said the girl was attacked by the predator when she came out of her house and later her mutilated body was recovered by police.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, security forces shot dead a bear near Tompura village in Handwara area of Kupwara district yesterday.

The bear was killed by Rashtriya Rifles personnel in self-defence, a wildlife official said adding the bear had created panic in the village and adjoining areas over the past two weeks and had killed a number of bovine animals besides injuring many people.
In nearby Pazalpora village, the official said police trapped a bear and handed it over to the wild life department.
"A police party rushed to the village after a bear ventured into the human habitat. The police party managed to capture the wild animal after a long wait of over an hour and later handed it to the wild life department," the official said.

The man-animal conflict in the valley is on the rise over the past three years which resulted in the death of about 100 persons and injuries to scores of others, while 30 wild animals, mostly leopards and bears, also perished.