An eight-month-old child who was allegedly dragged away from mother’s lap by a leopard in Vavkundali village of Goghamba taluka of Panchmahal district on Friday late night was found dead on Saturday. The mother was breastfeeding him in their house when the animal dragged the baby away, according to the family.
The incident took place late night when Kanu Baria’s wife was breastfeeding their eight-month-old son, Mayur, inside their hut. According to the family, a leopard entered the house and dragged the child from the mother’s grasp.
The mother chased the leopard for a distance but the big cat disappeared into the dark. The distraught parents raised an alarm and gathered the villagers, who formed a team to find the child but were unsuccessful.
Early Saturday, forest officials arrived in the village and began search when the mutilated body of the infant was found in the forest area of Nani Dungri. Goghmaba range forest officers visited the family that was inconsolable.
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Last year, too, incidents of leopard attacks on children were reported in Goghamba and the forest department trapped the big cat in a cage. Officials of the forest department said that the search was on to track down the leopard to avert more attacks.