In a tragic series of events, wildlife encounters have claimed two lives within 24 hours in the Lansdowne area of Pauri district. In a heart-wrenching incident, a leopard snatched one-and-a-half-year-old Yashika from her mother’s arms in the courtyard of their home in Barswar village, Jaiharikhal.
The incident occurred so swiftly that the shocked mother couldn’t react immediately. Upon raising an alarm, frantic family members and villagers discovered Yashika’s lifeless body just 20 metres from the house. At Lansdowne hospital, the child was declared dead, prompting swift action from local authorities.
Lansdowne Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shalini Maurya confirmed that a Forest Department team is actively monitoring the area. In another grim episode, a 70-year-old man named Brijmohan Singh was trampled to death by an elephant while collecting dry wood in a forest in the Kotdwar range. These back-to-back incidents have left the community in mourning.
(With inputs from agencies.)