Leopard mauls 4-year-old to death near Gir Wildlife Sanctuary

A four-year-old girl was mauled to death by a leopard at Baradiya village in Visavadar taluka of Junagadh district near Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, a top forest official said on Tuesday.

"Victim Rashmita Tikhayabhai was dragged late last night by a leopard when she was sleeping at a farm along with her parents who are farm labourers from Madhya Pradesh," said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Gir (West) division, Pradeep Singh.

The victim's body was found in the morning after which the forest officials were informed.The body was later sent for post mortem, Singh said.

The family of the victim are migrant labourers from Mandva village in Alirajpur district of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.

They were staying at the farm land where Rashmita was attacked and killed. Forest department officials have laid a trap to catch the leopard so that it can be shifted to jungles away from human settlement, Singh said.