Leopard kills minor girl in Anantnag, second incident in two months

Younus Rashid
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18 Dec 2025

Anantnag, Dec 18: A five-year-old girl was killed in a leopard attack in Ashdar area of Khiram in Anantnag district on Wednesday evening, triggering fear among residents of the area. Veer Israr, a local resident, said people have been suffering financial losses due to leopard attacks for the past several years. He said the incident occurred around 8:30 pm when the child had stepped outside her house, and her father was also present. “If lights are being provided as a preventive measure, then vulnerable areas like ours should be given priority. Proper lighting and boundary fencing are essential so that at least human lives can be saved. Financial losses can still be tolerated, but loss of life cannot be endured,” Israr said. He appealed to the government to take note of the tragedy, stating that the victim’s family was poor and had suffered an irreparable loss. An official of the Wildlife Department said the area falls on the fringe of the Tral Wildlife Sanctuary and is already a recognised wildlife zone. The official said deforestation and the proximity to a national park have contributed to the frequent movement of leopards in the area. The official added that awareness programmes have been conducted to inform residents that leopards are nocturnal animals and mostly attack at night, describing the incident as extremely unfortunate, as it occurred in the evening hours. Meanwhile, Wildlife Warden, South Kashmir, Sajad Ahmad, said a leopard attacked and killed Sumiya, the daughter of Riyaz Ahmad Paswal of Ashdar Khiram, on December 17 at around 8:30 pm. He said wildlife officials are continuously patrolling the area and have established a camp to tranquilise and capture the leopard. He added that cages have also been installed in the area. “In continued efforts, announcements are being made in local mosques in Khiram regarding do’s and don’ts for public safety and protection,” he said. Notably, on October 12, 2025, a six-year-old boy, Abdul Razak Bajad, son of Mohammad Iqbal of Reasi, was killed in a leopard attack near the Awantipora canal in the Wopzen area of Bijbehara. The child sustained severe injuries and died on the spot.