THAKUR BABA (BARDIYA), April 3: Leopards have increasingly attacked people in Bardiya over the past few months. Incidents from February and March indicate that leopards are primarily targeting children. During this period, leopards have attacked three children.
Ramkumari Chaudhary, the information officer at the Bardiya Division Forest Office, reported that leopards killed one child and seriously injured two others in the past one and a half months.
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On February 15, around 8 PM, a leopard attacked and killed two-year-old Rihan Chalune in Madhuwan Municipality-9, Dharmabasti. The child had come to visit his aunt's house when the leopard struck.
Similarly, on March 22, a leopard from Saraswati Community Forest in Madhuwan Municipality-4 attacked four-year-old Shubham Tharu near Maya Nursery while he was playing around 6:30 PM. Local residents rescued him in an injured state. Shubham is the son of Munsiram Tharu from Madhuwan Municipality-4, Gamakka.
On Wednesday at around 2 PM, a leopard attacked seven-year-old Sirjan Chaudhary from Guleriya Municipality-4, Indreni Tole. As the leopard dragged him away, locals intervened and rescued him. He suffered deep neck injuries. After receiving initial treatment at Bardiya Hospital, Guleriya, doctors referred him to a nursing home in Nepalgunj for further medical care, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Rishiram Ghartimagar of the District Police Office, Bardiya.
The rising number of leopard attacks has terrified local residents. Concerned citizens have urged forest and environmental conservation authorities to take immediate action to control the leopard menace.