Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh | Sunday
Fear continues to escalate in rural areas of Moradabad as incidents of leopard attacks show no signs of stopping. In a shocking case reported from Dariyapur village under the Kanth police station area, a three-year-old child was seriously injured after being attacked by a leopard on Saturday evening.
According to local sources, the child, identified as Harsh, had accompanied his parents, Sunil Kumar and Vimlesh, to their sugarcane field. At around 5:30–6:00 PM, a leopard that was reportedly hiding nearby suddenly pounced on the child and clamped him in its jaws.
Hearing their son’s screams, the parents rushed to his rescue without hesitation. Armed with farm tools, they bravely attacked the leopard and managed to force it to release the child. Their swift and courageous action prevented a likely fatal outcome, though the child sustained serious injuries.
The family immediately rushed Harsh to the district hospital. Due to the severity of his condition, doctors referred him to a higher medical center in Meerut for advanced treatment.
The incident has triggered panic across the village and surrounding areas. Residents say they are now afraid to let their children step outside, and even routine work in fields has become risky. “We are living in constant fear. It is no longer safe to go near fields or forest areas,” said a local villager.
What has further alarmed authorities and locals alike is that this is reportedly the fourth such attack in the past month. Despite repeated sightings and earlier incidents, the threat remains unresolved. Forest department teams have previously captured some leopards and released them back into forest zones, but villagers claim that the danger persists.
Officials from the forest department attribute these incidents to the movement of leopards from nearby forest regions, particularly from areas bordering Uttarakhand, including the Amangarh–Kalagarh forest belt. They have urged residents to remain cautious, especially during evening hours.
Meanwhile, villagers are demanding immediate and concrete action from authorities, including intensified patrolling, installation of cages, and relocation of the wild animals away from human settlements.
While the attack has once again highlighted the growing human-wildlife conflict in the region, it also stands as a powerful testament to parental courage. In a moment of sheer terror, Harsh’s parents fought back against a predator and pulled their child back from the jaws of death.
The pressing question now remains—how many more such incidents will it take before effective measures are put in place to ensure the safety of residents?
