Leopard kills woman in Pauri; second wildlife death in 48 hours

Dehradun: A woman in her 60s was mauled to death by a leopard in Pauri while collecting fodder near a forest on Thursday, making it the second wildlife fatality in the state in 48 hours. A day earlier, a tiger had killed a 50-year-old woman in Nainital.Villagers said the woman’s body was found about 20m away in bushes. Her husband, Surender Prasad, said the animal had eaten parts of her neck and stomach. “The leopard must be trapped or eliminated soon, as it poses a threat to children, the elderly and livestock,” he said.As a precaution, around a dozen schools in Bamti village were closed for two days. Forest department teams were monitoring the area to prevent further attacks. “We have taken permission from state forest headquarters to install at least three cages and 15 camera traps and have deployed a 15-member quick response team. We are trying to trap the animal,” Pauri range officer Nakshatra Shah said. He added that compensation would be given to the family after the postmortem report.