Leopard beaten up, burnt alive in UP

A two-year-old leopard was allegedly beaten up and burnt alive by a group of enraged villagers after it attacked over a dozen people in three villages this morning, an official said.

The leopard had attacked three people each in Nakhi and Dhobia villages this morning and two more people in Khalerpur, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) RP Singh said.

The agitated villagers then allegedly beat up the leopard and when the carnivore hid behind a bush they set the bush afire, the DFO said.

Fire tenders were later rushed to the spot to douse the flames, he said, adding that the carcass of the leopard was sent for postmortem.

In a separate incident, an elderly woman was killed in a leopard attack in forest area near Ramgaon village in Bardia area, forest officials said.

Kaushalya (70) was yesterday attacked when she went in the forest area to collect woods, Divisional Forest officer GP Singh said, adding that the woman died on the spot.

The forest area lies in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctury, he said.