Daijiworld Media Network - Jaipur

Jaipur, Dec 11: A seven-year-old boy was killed in a leopard attack near the Atila Balaji temple in Ranthambore, Sawai Madhopur, on Thursday, sending shockwaves through the local community.

The victim, Vikram Banjara, was walking with his father near a handpump close to the temple when the leopard suddenly leapt out from the bushes, clamped its jaws around the child’s neck, and dragged him into the forest. His father, Ramjilal Banjara, said the attack happened within seconds.

“He had fallen just a step behind me. Suddenly, a tiger came out of the bushes, grabbed him in its jaws, and took him away. I ran after it and cried for help,” he said.

Residents from the nearby Banjara settlement rushed in after hearing the father’s screams and threw stones into the bushes in an attempt to scare the animal away. After an intense search, the child’s body was recovered nearly 150 meters inside the forest.

While the father initially believed it was a tiger, Forest Department officials have confirmed that the attack was carried out by a leopard.

District authorities, including Collector Kanaram and SP Anil Kumar Beniwal, reached the site and later met the grieving family at the mortuary. The family initially refused to accept the body, with anger and tension rising in the area.

DFO Manas Singh described the incident as “deeply tragic” and assured that the family would receive all government assistance. He reaffirmed that “the attack was clearly by a leopard,” as confirmed by evidence at the site.

The tragedy has also reignited a dispute between the family and the Forest Department over an alleged attempt to build a wall in the area. The family claims the department is trying to construct it forcefully — a point of contention that police and district officials are now trying to address.

Kotwali Police Station Officer Madanlal Meena is at the location, coordinating efforts to calm the situation and support the family.

The incident has heightened concerns about human-wildlife conflict in regions surrounding Ranthambore, where several villages sit close to forested terrain frequented by big cats.