Valparai, June 21: In a terrifying incident, a leopard attacked and dragged away a six-year-old girl in Pachamalai tea estate, Valparai, right before her mother’s eyes. The child, Roshini Kumari, daughter of migrant workers from Jharkhand, was accompanying her mother to fetch water at around 6:30 pm when the predator emerged from nearby bushes and snatched herAlarmed workers and villagers raised the alarm, prompting a swift response from forest department personnel, police, and fire service teams. Officials found Roshini’s dress with blood stains, but the dense forest and ongoing search operations are being hindered by challenging terrain and recent rains
A large-scale rescue operation—including forest rangers, police, and fire personnel—remains active as authorities intensify efforts to locate Roshini and control leopard movement in the region. Residents have called for urgent wildlife mitigation measures to protect communities living on the margins of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.