An eight-year-old girl was injured in a leopard attack in the heart of Pauri town on Saturday evening. The leopard attacked the girl on a narrow road near her house, but luckily the headlights of a two-wheeler distracted and scared away the big cat.
The injured girl was taken to the hospital and sent home after a few stitches on her back. However, the Garhwal divisional forest officer Raj Mani Pandey said that according to the Forest Department staff no such incident took place on the weekend.
Neelam Pant (8), daughter of Harshpati Pant, studies in Class IV and lives with her aunt in a rented house in Chuincha Gaon, Pauri. The leopard reportedly attacked her when she was on the Kandai-Chuincha road. The district hospital senior surgeon Dr KC Sharma, had treated the injured girl, told The Pioneer the girl was injured in a leopard attack.
The locals are questioning the stance of the Forest Department. At a time when the Chief Minister Harish Rawat is seeking additional funds from the Central Government for tackling human-wildlife conflict, the stand of the department has raised questions.The leopard attack in the heart of the town has spread fear among the locals.