Chennai, June 21 (IANS) A massive search operation is underway on Saturday in the forested areas of Valparai in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district after a leopard reportedly took away a six-year-old girl on Friday evening.

The child, identified as Roshini Kumari, daughter of migrant workers Manoj Mundha and Monica Devi from Jharkhand, was assisting her mother in fetching water from a tap located behind their house at the Pachamalai estate’s labour quarters around 6.30 p.m. when the leopard attacked.

According to forest department officials, the animal suddenly emerged from nearby bushes, seized the child, and disappeared into the thickets before her shocked mother could react.

Monica Devi immediately raised an alarm, prompting neighbours to rush to the spot. Police and forest officials were quickly alerted and began an intensive search.

Despite overnight efforts, the girl could not be located. Her blood-stained clothing was later recovered from the estate area, deepening fears that she may have succumbed to the attack.

Forest department teams have intensified the search using drone surveillance, sniffer dogs, and camera traps. Six pairs of camera traps have been installed at suspected leopard movement zones near the estate.

The incident has once again drawn attention to the recurring human-wildlife conflicts in the Valparai plateau, a region known for leopard sightings, especially during early morning and night hours.

Authorities have reiterated instructions to estate workers and residents to avoid venturing out during these times. This is the third leopard-related incident in Valparai in recent months.

In October 2024, four-year-old Apsara Khatun, also from a migrant family from Jharkhand, was killed by a leopard near Uzhemala estate while walking with her mother.

Earlier, on November 6, 2023, a seven-year-old boy named Pradheep, son of a tea estate worker, was injured in another leopard attack in the Sirukundra area within the Anamalai Tiger Reserve limits.

Wildlife experts have called for long-term mitigation measures, including improved lighting in labour lines, installation of protective fencing, and relocation of vulnerable settlements away from forest fringes. Forest officials have assured the family and local residents that all efforts are being made to locate the missing child and trap the leopard responsible.

–IANS

aal/skp