Nepal police hunt for wild leopard after death of 5-year-old girl

Police in Nepal on Tuesday launched a hunt for a leopard after it killed a 5-year-old girl having snacks near a grocery in the country's southern region.

The girl, along with her two sisters, was having fried noodles near a bush in the village of Kimdanda on Monday afternoon when the animal pounced on her, said Nawaraj Malla, a senior police officer of Arghakhanchi district.

‘We have mobilized a team of policemen and forest rangers to capture the animal,’ he told dpa.

The other girls, who fled the scene, reported to the incident to their mother, he said.

The police officer said the mauled body of the girl was found a few metres away from the spot.

The leopard is believed to have killed over a dozen children in several years in the same district.

Conflict between humans and wildlife has increased in recent years in Nepal, raising concerns about the safety of people living near forests.