8 schools closed for 2 days in Rudraprayag amid search for leopard

Dehradun: Eight schools and all anganwadi centres in the vicinity of Rudraprayag's Sindrawani village have been closed for two days as a precautionary measure following a fatal leopard attack on a five-year-old boy on Tuesday evening. The closures are announced as efforts are on to trap the prowling leopard, according to district admin officials.Educational institutions in Chamseel, Sari, Sindrawani, Chinka (two schools), Jhalimath, Hiloridhar and Kakorakhal were closed on directives by district magistrate Prateek Jain starting Wednesday. Chief education officer Premanand Bisht said that a decision on reopening schools will be taken after reviewing the situation on Thursday.
According to Rudraprayag information department, a coordinated search and response operation was launched Tuesday evening and continued until late at night. The operation involved five teams, comprising 42 personnel from the forest department, police, disaster management and district administration. The child's mutilated body was recovered around 11:00 pm.Jain met with the bereaved family on Wednesday and addressed community concerns regarding wildlife safety. He announced humanitarian assistance for the family and outlined measures to reduce the risk of further human–wildlife encounters.He said, "Immediate assistance of Rs 10 lakh, housing and security measures have been directed for the affected family, in addition to Rs 10 lakh assistance from the forest department. Three cages, three trap cameras, a hi-tech camera, solar lights and a team of experts from Dehradun have been deployed to capture the leopard."This marks the second big cat-related fatality reported in the state within 48 hours. In a separate incident on Wednesday in Pauri district, a woman sustained serious injuries in a bear encounter and was airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh for treatment. A day earlier, a man from the same district was injured after falling from a cliff while attempting to evade a bear.