Man killed by leopard in Uttar Pradesh, animal captured within 24 hours

A 28-year-old man died in a leopard attack in Mahboobnagar village panchayat under Kakraha range of Katarniaghat Wildlife Division in Bahraicha on 1 September 2026, and the wildlife authorities captured the adult male leopard responsible for the attack within 24 hours of the incident.

Ram Singh was killed in the violent wildlife attack approximately 200 meters from the forest boundary. Following the tragedy, the Katarniaghat Wildlife Division successfully tracked, secured and rescued the leopard involved in the incident.

The forest personnel who arrived at the scene managed to calm the anger of villagers through transparency and dialogue in an extremely tense atmosphere. They sent the body of the deceased for post-mortem and assured local residents of immediate assistance and safety.

Deputy Ranger Satyaprakash Verma conducted an accurate and scientific assessment of pugmarks found in the victim's courtyard despite pressure from an angry crowd. The measurements confirmed that the attacker was an adult leopard, based on which swift and targeted action was initiated.

Despite continuous heavy rainfall, the field team strategically installed a cage near the incident site to prevent any further untoward incident. In less than 24 hours, an adult male leopard matching the scientific assessment was safely captured in the cage.

The success of this complex operation is credited to the indomitable courage and restraint of Deputy Range Forest Officer Satyaprakash, Forest Guard Ravindra Rao, Forest Guard Kapil Kumar and their entire field team. The team skillfully handled an extremely aggressive and angry crowd, installed the cage in adverse weather conditions, and safely removed the captured leopard from the village without any disruption. The strategic supervision of the entire operation was conducted by the Range Officer Kakraha, under whose leadership the work of safely removing the leopard was completed smoothly.

Although the leopard involved in the conflict has been safely captured, the forest department appeals to all villagers living in areas bordering the forest to remain vigilant and strictly follow safety measures. Residents should avoid sleeping in the open at night, outside homes, in open verandas or courtyards. Adequate lighting arrangements should be maintained around the courtyard and house at night using torch, solar lights or bulbs to keep wildlife away. The forest department is arranging lighting in identified hotspot villages.

People should avoid going alone to forest boundaries, fields or dense bushes in the morning, evening or night, and should always go out in groups carrying a stick or torch. Special attention should be paid to children. Domestic animals should be tied at night in strong and completely covered enclosures, as open cattle can attract wild animals.

Regular cleaning of dense bushes and weeds around homes should be done to eliminate hiding places for wildlife. If any wildlife activity is seen around residential areas, the nearest forest personnel or range office should be informed immediately.

The loss of human life is an irreparable loss, yet through swift scientific response, community coordination and successful rescue of the leopard within 24 hours, the Katarniaghat Division has proved its commitment to public safety and wildlife management. The captured leopard is currently undergoing veterinary examination and inspection under standard protocol.