A leopard has eaten a five-year-old boy and critically injured his four-year-old friend while they were playing outside their homes in an Indian village.
The half-eaten body of Chetan, five, was found in a sugarcane field 328 yards from Prempuri village, Uttar Pradesh, with his hands detached, while his friend Nishu, four, was rushed to hospital after being attacked in the neck.
The pair had shouted for help after they spotted the predator in the village. It is the second attack to rock the state in two days.
Villagers began a frantic two-day search for Chetan, following the attack on Monday, before finding his body.
Reports state part of his back, hands and face were missing, while his hands had been separated from his body.
Five-year-old Rohan was grabbed by a leopard in Akbarpur Chauganva village, almost 400 miles away, on Sunday before he was rescued by his family.
Indian authorities said they have set up cages to trap the leopards and launched a probe into the killing following the attacks.
Forest officer of the Bijnor Divisional, M. Semmaran, told Timesnownews: 'Our staff have increased vigils and patrolling.'
And Najibabad divisional forest officer, Manoj Shukla, said this is the first time a leopard has eaten a child in the area.
'We cannot declare it a man eater yet,' he said.
'The attacks were carried out in different areas. We are not sure if the same leopard is attacking the villagers.'
There were six leopard attacks in Uttar Pradesh last month, according to The Times of India.
To deal with the increase, authorities have increased patrols, set up cages for trapping big cats and advised villagers to stop children leaving their homes without an adult.
Leopards have been reported stalking sugarcane fields, with as many as 20 sightings around Nagina and Bahupura last month.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
