Gujarat: Baby boy, toddler mauled to death by lioness, leopard in separate incidents

Amreli, May 9

An infant and a three-year-old boy were mauled to death by a lioness and a leopard in separate incidents in Gujarat’s Amreli district, forest department officials said on Tuesday.

The lioness took away a five-month-boy early Tuesday morning when he was sleeping with his family of daily wagers out in the open near Khara village in Liliya taluka, Deputy Conservator of Forests Jayan Patel said.

“The baby’s skull was later found about half-a-kilometre from where he was picked up. From the footmarks and the version of locals, we believe it is the work of a lioness,” he said.

Forest staff teams were scanning the area and cages will be set up to catch the big cat, he said.

Two veterinary doctors have also been kept on standby, he added.

In another incident, a three-year-old boy was killed after being attacked by a leopard in Karjala village of Savarkundla taluka here on Monday night, forest officials said.

The forest staff later caged the leopard, they said.