Mauled by leopard outside her home, 4-year-old girl dies in hospital

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD girl who was attacked by a leopard near her residence in Dang district’s Daher village three days ago died while undergoing treatment at the Valsad Civil Hospital on Thursday, forest department officers said. As many as six cages have now been set up across the village to trap the leopard, officers said.

The incident took place around 9:30 pm on January 26, when the tribal girl, Riya Salkar, and her grandmother, Shantiben, were returning to their house in Subir taluka after attending a wedding function. They had almost entered their house when a leopard hiding nearby attacked Riya on the neck and tried to drag her away. Shantiben raised an alarm and her daughter, Anuben Dalvi, who lives in the neighbourhood, stepped out with a wooden stick, and other villagers also reached the spot. The leopard let go of Riya and escaped, forest department officers said citing local residents.

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Riya, who suffered serious neck and throat injuries, was first taken to a nearby Primary Health Centre. She was shifted to Ahwa Civil Hospital the next day, and later that afternoon, referred to Valsad Civil Hospital.

Dang South Range Forest officer Archana Hira said, “She had deep injuries on the throat and neck caused by the leopard’s jaws.”

She added, “We have installed six cages at different locations to catch the leopard, on the basis of its pugmarks. The girl’s parents work as farm labourers in Navsari. The victim was their youngest child… They have two more children.”