Pune: A five-year-old girl was killed after a leopard entered a cattle shed, dragged her away while she was sleeping with her parents, and later left her body in a nearby sugarcane field in Maharashtra’s Pune district, forest officials said.
The tragic incident occurred in Pimpalsuti village in Shirur taluka during the early hours of Wednesday.
Leopard Attack in Pune Triggers Massive Search Operation
The victim, identified as Bhagyashree Sandeep Ware, was sleeping with her parents inside a cattle shed near their home when the leopard reportedly entered the structure at around 2:45 a.m. and carried her away in its jaws.
Bhagyashree’s parents, who work as labourers in nearby sugarcane fields, raised an alarm and chased the animal but were unable to rescue their daughter.
Police and forest officials later recovered the child’s body from a nearby sugarcane field.
Assistant Conservator of Forests Smita Kulkarni said the Forest Department received information about the attack within minutes and rushed a team to the spot by 3:15 a.m. A search operation was launched immediately, and the body was recovered shortly afterwards. The child was later taken for a post-mortem examination before her last rites were performed.
Senior forest officials, including Deputy Conservator of Forests Prashant Khade, Assistant Conservator Rajhans, and Forest Range Officer Neelkanth Gawhane, visited the scene to assess the situation.
Authorities have also initiated the process of providing financial assistance to the bereaved family as per government norms.
The Forest Department has launched a large-scale operation to capture the leopard. Multiple cages have been installed, camera traps and drones are being used to track the animal, and special teams have intensified night patrols in the area.
The leopard had not been captured at the time of filing this report.
Following the incident, forest officials appealed to residents to avoid venturing out alone at night, ensure children are not left unattended, and immediately report any leopard sightings to the authorities.
Officials said the operation to capture the leopard will continue on a mission mode to prevent any further attacks and ensure the safety of residents in the area.
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