Sidhi (Madhay Pradesh): A nine-year-old girl was mauled to death by a leopard in the buffer zone of the Sanjay Tiger Reserve (STR) in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district, an official said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred in the Madwas forest range that falls under the STR buffer zone on Tuesday, Forest Ranger Sanjeev Ranjan said.
The girl, a resident of Dadri village, was collecting firewood in the nearby forest along with her mother and other villagers when the leopard attacked her, he said.
Ranjan said the girl's mother and other villagers tried to save her by throwing stones at the big cat which dragged her for about 100 metres and killer her.
A few days back a tribal woman from Badi Jharia village, located in the buffer zone of the STR, had fought back a leopard and managed to save her son from its claws.
The Sanjay-Dubri National Park and Tiger Reserve was established in 1975 to conserve the biodiversity-rich forest area of the Sidhi district. The Sanjay National Park, which is a part of the Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve, is popular among wildlife enthusiasts.
