Leopard Drags 4-Year-Old Girl From Her Doorstep in Kotdwar, Mutilated Body Found 2 km Away

A Night of Horror in Bhatkot Village

A deeply tragic incident has shaken the Pokhra region of Kotdwar in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district. A four-year-old girl named Drishti, daughter of Harendra Singh from Bhatkot village under Gram Sabha Gadri (Kola Gad), was attacked and killed by a leopard on Thursday evening.

The Attack: How It Unfolded

According to Gram Pradhan Rashi Devi of Gadri village, Drishti was sitting near the doorstep of her home at around 8 in the evening, eating her meal. Her 10-year-old elder sister and her grandmother were also having food right beside her.

Without any warning, a leopard that had been lying in wait lunged from the darkness and snatched Drishti right from the doorstep. The girl screamed, and her family cried out for help. Villagers quickly gathered and began searching for the child.

Body Discovered 2 Kilometres Away

Despite extensive search efforts through Thursday evening, Drishti could not be found alive. After considerable effort, her mutilated body was eventually discovered approximately 2 kilometres from her home. The devastating find confirmed the worst fears of her family and neighbours.

Villagers Demand Action, Officials Arrive at the Scene

News of the attack spread rapidly and villagers expressed outrage in front of forest department personnel and police who reached the spot the same night. The angry villagers demanded the presence of the District Magistrate and the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) at the site, and refused to allow the body to be moved until their demands were met.

Ranger Nakshatra Shah from Pokhra, along with his team, and Satpuli Police reached the location that very night. On Friday morning, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Chaubattakhal Rekha Arya and DFO Mahatim Yadav arrived at the spot. A post-mortem was conducted near the house itself, after which Drishti's body was handed over to her family.

Your Voice Matters

This tragedy is a grim reminder of the growing threat posed by wildlife attacks in Uttarakhand's rural areas. What do you think needs to be done to protect villagers living on the fringes of forests? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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