Leopard mauls to death 7-year-old girl in Uttarakhand

Pithoragarh: A leopard mauled a seven-year-old girl to death in Bhattigaon village in Berinag subdivision of the district, officials said on Thursday.

The girl was attacked when she was playing outside her house on Wednesday evening. She was dragged by the animal to the nearby bushes, they said.

As villagers rushed to the spot after hearing the girl's cries, the big cat ran away leaving behind the dead child, Pithoragarh DFO Vinay Bhargava said.

The forest department has installed a cage in the area to catch the leopard and asked the residents to be cautious, he said.