Leopard attack claims life of 12-year-old in Nagrakata

Jalpaiguri: A 12-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard on Tuesday evening in Dakshin Kherkata village under Angrabhasa-I Gram Panchayat, sparking grief and fear across the community. With the 12 year old boy’s death, four children have lost their lives to leopard attacks in the past year.

The victim, Ashmit Roy, was returning home around 7:30 pm after buying snacks from a nearby shop when a fully grown leopard leapt from the bushes and dragged him away. His body was later found in a nearby thicket by a local resident. Although Sikandar Alam rushed Ashmit to Sulkapara Hospital on a motorbike, doctors declared him dead on arrival.

The tragic incident has reignited anger among villagers, who alleged that forest officials failed to respond promptly despite repeated appeals for stronger safety measures. Residents also expressed concern over the recurring leopard attacks in the area.

“This is a tragic loss. The family of the deceased child will receive financial compensation soon,” said Jayanta Mondal, Additional Divisional Forest Officer of the Jalpaiguri Forest Division, who visited the site on Wednesday. He added that awareness camps on leopard attacks were conducted for local residents. In an effort to capture the animal and prevent further attacks, the forest division set up four traps in Kherkata and installed six closed-circuit cameras for surveillance on Wednesday. This incident is part of a disturbing pattern in the region. In July, a child was killed in Kalabari (Banarhat), while another fell victim in Kuthabari (Nagrakata) in August. Last October, a teenage girl was dragged away by a leopard from her home in Kherkata, Nagrakata.

Local authorities and villagers are now calling for urgent measures, including enhanced patrolling, early warning systems, and community awareness programmes, to prevent further tragedies in this wildlife-prone region.