A leopard killed an eight-year-old girl after straying into a residential area near the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Hattian Bala district, officials said on Sunday.
According to police, the tragic incident took place in Pando Nala, a village located roughly 15 kilometres from Chinari and about 65km from Muzaffarabad, the regional capital. The area lies in close proximity to the LoC.
The predator reportedly entered the courtyard of a house and snatched the girl, taking her into nearby woodland, police said. The family and locals began searching the area immediately, combing nearby fields and forested patches in hopes of recovering the child.
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Three hours later, the girl’s body was discovered in a dense thicket. A police official said the leopard appeared to have bitten the child on the neck and sucked her blood before fleeing into the adjacent forest.
Authorities have urged residents in surrounding villages to remain vigilant and avoid leaving children unattended, especially during dusk and dawn in areas adjacent to forests. Efforts are under way to trace the animal.
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