Leopard drags sleeping child from home in Pune; found dead in sugarcane field

Pune, July 23 (IANS) In a terrifying incident, a five-year-old girl who was sleeping with her parents inside a cattle shed was taken away by a leopard and later found dead in a nearby sugarcane field in Shirur in Maharashtra’s Pune, officials said.

The victim’s parents work as labourers in the sugarcane field. At around 2:45 a.m. on Wednesday, the victim, who has been identified as Bhagyashree Sandeep Ware, was asleep with her parents inside a cattle shed near their home in Pimpalsuti village when a leopard entered the shed, picked the five-year-old in its jaws and escaped into the sugarcane field. The parents raised an alarm and chased the animal but were unable to save the child.

Police said that her body was recovered from the field sometime later.

Speaking to IANS, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Smita Kulkarni said the Forest Department was informed about the incident within 15 minutes. “A team reached the spot by 3:15 a.m. and immediately launched a search operation. The child’s body was later recovered from the sugarcane field. Her last rites were performed after the post-mortem examination,” he said.

Following the incident, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Junnar Division) Prashant Khade, Assistant Conservator Rajhans, and Forest Range Officer Neelkanth Gawhane also visited the site and inspected the area. After completing the necessary legal formalities, the body was sent to a rural hospital for the post-mortem procedure.

According to officials, the process of providing immediate financial assistance to the bereaved family, as per government norms, has also been initiated.

The Forest Department said that an intensive search operation is underway to capture the leopard. Special teams have been deployed, cages have been installed at multiple locations, camera traps have been set up, and drones are being used for aerial surveillance. Night patrols have also been intensified.

However, the leopard had not been captured at the time of filing this report.

As fear gripped the village following the tragic incident, the Forest Department has appealed to residents not to venture out alone at night, not to leave young children unattended, and to immediately inform forest officials if they spot the leopard.

Further, the Forest Department has assured that it is conducting a mission-mode operation to capture the leopard and ensure the safety of local residents.

–IANS

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