Villagers kill leopard after it mauls boy to death in UP's Bijnor

An 11-year-old schoolboy was mauled to death by a leopard in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor on Monday, the sixth such killing in the district in as many weeks, police said.

After the incident, the feline was killed by local residents. However, the authorities believe there is a second leopard in the area responsible for killing five other people, they said.

Prashant, a Class 6 student, was out with his friends in the afternoon when the leopard pounced and dragged him to a nearby field in Bhogpur village, about 10 km from Nazibabad, a forest department official said.

Hearing the other children shout, villagers rushed to the spot and surrounded the field. The feline was then caught and beaten to death with lathis, the official said.

Forest Officer Manoj Shukla said the next of kin of the deceased will be given Rs 5 lakh compensation, while legal action will be taken against the villagers who killed the animal.

Meanwhile, the personnel of forest department have set up traps to catch the animal, the official said.

Bijnor Forest Range Officer SK Gupta said the leopard has created terror in Mohandiya village in Mandawar.

He said eight cameras have been installed at advantage points and baits were being used to trap the the feline that hides behind tall grasses in sugarcane fields abounding the area and preys on human beings and domestic animals.