LUCKNOW: A leopard entered different houses in Uchwa Balapur village under the Chakia range of Bahraich forest division and attacked four children within a span of two hours between Friday night and Saturday morning, leaving them injured and triggering panic among residents.The attacks took place between 1am and 3am while the children were sleeping with their families inside their homes. The injured include two girls and two boys, aged between four and 10 years. The sudden attacks triggered screams and panic in the village, prompting residents to rush out with sticks and other makeshift weapons to drive away the animal.The injured children were identified as Shamsuddin (4), son of Achhan; Israr (7), son of Noor Alam; Lakshmi (10), daughter of Lallan; and Sheeba (6), daughter of Ashiq. All four sustained injuries in the attacks and were rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Motipur for treatment.After providing primary treatment, doctors referred four-year-old Shamsuddin to a medical college in view of his serious condition. The condition of the other three children was not immediately known.According to villagers, the leopard entered the village under the cover of darkness and attacked children in separate houses. Initially, residents suspected that the animal could be a hyena. However, a forest department team that reached the village subsequently examined the situation and confirmed that the attacks had been carried out by a leopard.Divisional Forest Officer, Bahraich, Sundaresh, said the department suspected that the animal was a juvenile leopard that had become separated from its mother and strayed into the village from the forest. It may have entered the residential area while searching for its mother and attacked the sleeping children in the process, he said.Following the incident, the forest department intensified patrolling in and around the affected village to prevent further attacks and monitor the animal’s movement. Forest personnel are also reaching out to villagers and advising them to remain alert, particularly during the night.The DFO appealed to residents not to leave children unattended at night and to exercise extra caution while moving around their homes and in areas adjoining the forest. The department has also been sensitising villagers about the precautions to take in the event of a wild animal entering a residential area.
