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Leopard Attacks Roil Himachal and Uttarakhand as Teen Fends Off Killer and Pauri Hunt Begins

State responses now center on rapid capture orders following intense local pressure.

Overview

  • Pravesh Sharma, 18, killed a leopard with stones after a 10–12 minute struggle near his home in Sarli village, Solan, and received Rs 5,000 in immediate relief from forest officials.
  • Residents in the Himachal locality say they had reported leopard movement since March 6 and requested a trap cage before the attack on the student and an earlier strike on a motorcyclist.
  • In Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal, 48-year-old Prakash Lal was found dead after a leopard attack near Jamla, prompting orders to capture and tranquilise the animal or, if necessary, kill it.
  • Divisional Forest Officer Mahatim Yadav said cages and cameras have been installed and teams are being deployed, after villagers detained officials and demanded swift action over multiple recent killings.
  • Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami raised death compensation to ₹10 lakh and earmarked ₹5 crore for rescue operations plus ₹131 crore for conflict-mitigation, as recent incidents add to a documented rise in human–wildlife conflict.