Two Leopard Attacks in 48 Hours, Six-Year-Old Boy Killed in UP's Dudhwa Buffer Zone

Fear and anger have gripped villages around Uttar Pradesh’s Dudhwa buffer zone after a leopard killed a six-year-old boy, marking the second fatal attack in nearly 48 hours and raising serious concerns over the safety of people living near the forest.

The latest incident occurred on Wednesday night in Naurangabad village, under the north Nighasan range, when the leopard attacked Navjot Singh as he was returning home with his father, Joga Singh. Despite desperate efforts by his parents and other villagers to rescue the child, he could not be saved.

His body was later recovered from a nearby sugarcane field close to the reserved forest area, while the leopard disappeared into the darkness, officials said.

The tragedy follows another fatal attack in the same buffer zone earlier this week. On Monday night, a leopard dragged away seven-year-old Saniya while she was playing outside her house in Bojhiya village, in front of her father.

The two deaths in quick succession have heightened anxiety among residents and put forest authorities under pressure to prevent further attacks. Villagers have expressed strong resentment and demanded effective measures to tackle the growing threat posed by the big cats.

Nighasan Sub-Divisional Officer Manoj Tiwari, who rushed to the spot with Range Officer Bhupendra Singh and other field staff, said leopard attacks had become a matter of serious concern.

Authorities are setting up cages in the affected area and plan to track the animal’s movements using thermal drones, intensified patrolling and combing operations.

However, with two children killed within days, fear continues to loom over settlements bordering the forest. The immediate challenge for authorities is to locate the leopard, establish whether the same animal was involved in both attacks, and prevent another tragedy while addressing residents’ demands for greater protection.