Mason killed in leopard attack in Pauri

Dehradun: A 46-year-old mason was killed in a leopard attack in Balmada village of Pauri Garhwal, with his body recovered during a search and rescue operation on Tuesday morning.Forest officials said Prakash Lal was returning home on Monday evening when the leopard attacked him. Members of the search team said the animal had consumed nearly 50% of the remains. Lal is survived by his partially handicapped wife and two children. Following the incident, angry villagers staged a protest, locking forest frontline staff and demanding a lifelong maintenance allowance for his widow. They also urged authorities to trace and eliminate the leopard responsible.This incident comes amid rising human-wildlife conflicts in the state. A similar episode took place in Gajald, where villagers also detained forest staff in protest.Forest officials expressed surprise over Lal's attack, noting that the area was well-lit with solar lights, free of thick vegetation, and not affected by out-migration. They said another fatal leopard attack in Pauri took place under similar conditions, prompting questions about the predator's unusual behaviour.Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Pauri, Mahatim Yadav, said, "Camera traps and cages have been installed, and permission from senior authorities has been sought to trap or eliminate the big cat."