A 12-year-old girl was killed in an attack by a leopard on the periphery of famous Tadoba Tiger Reserve in neighbouring Chandrapur district today, a senior forest officer said.
The minor girl has became the seventh victim of the attack by big cats in the east Maharashtra district in last 25 days, with a senior forest officer expressing a concern over growing instances of the man-animal conflict.
"Incidents of man-animal conflict in Chandrapur district, particularly areas adjacent to Tadoba Tiger Reserve, have reached an alarming level. This escalating conflict has become a cause of concern", said Chief Conservator of Forests (Chandrapur Circle), B K S Reddy.
According to sources, the leopard pounced on the girl, identified as Kirti Katkar who hailed from Paili village, when she was collecting Mahua flowers from the forest this morning.
Reddy said the Forest Department has launched a campaign to spread awareness among locals.
