Boy killed by leopard in Guwahati

A six-year-old boy has been killed by a leopard in Maligaon area of Assam's Guwahati, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place on Friday night when the child's mother was speaking with her neighbour and the boy was playing near their house located on a hilly area in Maligaon, they said.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the leopard had suddenly leapt out of the bushes and dragged the child by his neck.

"When we started shouting, the leopard left the child and fled. But he was already severely injured by then. When we took him to the hospital, doctors declared him brought dead," a neighbour said.

Guwahati Police Deputy Commissioner (West) Nilesh T Sawakare said that forest officials were informed and they have placed cages to trap the leopard.

The hilly areas of Maligaon have been witnessing a regular leopard movement at night and CCTV cameras have also captured images on several occasions, locals claimed.

"We have been complaining (about the issue) to the Forest Department for long. Had they acted on time, the child would have been alive," a resident said. 

READ | Mumbai: Search On For Leopard Spotted In Andheri's MIDC Area

READ | Leopard Dies After Being Hit By Vehicle In Pune