Fear has gripped Kotdwar once again after a leopard attempted to drag away a nine-year-old boy from a tent on the Najibabad-Buwakhal National Highway near Satpuli-Gumkhal. The boy, sleeping between his parents, was attacked late at night when the leopard tried to pull him out. His father held him tightly, preventing the animal from succeeding. The child sustained injuries on his hand.
Just two days earlier, a three-year-old boy named Vivek Thakur, son of Ramesh, was taken away from a nearby camp by the same leopard. His half-eaten body was later found about 200 meters away, causing widespread panic among the workers. Following the incident, laborers’ shelters were shifted nearly two kilometers ahead towards Gumkhal.
Despite the relocation, the leopard struck again around 11:30 pm, attempting another attack on the new site. The boy’s cries alerted his parents and other laborers, forcing the leopard to retreat into the forest. The injured child was taken to Satpuli Hospital for treatment.
Forest Department teams have reached the spot and intensified efforts to capture the leopard to prevent further attacks.
