Leopard kills 7-year-old girl inside farmhouse in Dudhwa buffer zone

A seven-year-old girl was killed in a leopard attack in a village located within the buffer zone of Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday night, forest officials said, underlining persistent concerns over human-wildlife conflict in the region.

The victim, identified as Simran , was attacked in Sidhauna village in the Singahi area of the Belrayan range . According to her family, the child was sitting with relatives inside their farmhouse when a leopard suddenly entered the premises.

In a swift and shocking turn of events, the animal grabbed the girl in its jaws and fled towards nearby fields . Family members and villagers immediately raised an alarm and chased the leopard. Their intervention forced the animal to drop the child before escaping into dense sugarcane fields , which are known to provide ideal cover for big cats.

Despite the efforts to rescue her, the girl succumbed to severe injuries on the spot , her family said.

Deputy Director of the Dudhwa buffer zone, Kirti Chaudhary , confirmed the incident and said that forest department teams rushed to the site upon receiving information. Authorities have since stepped up patrolling and surveillance in the area to prevent further such incidents.

The tragedy highlights the growing interface between wildlife and human settlements in buffer zones, where expanding agricultural activity and habitat overlap often lead to dangerous encounters. Leopards, in particular, are known to venture into human habitations in search of prey, especially in regions with thick vegetation such as sugarcane fields.

Officials have urged residents to remain vigilant as monitoring efforts continue.