Leopard Drags Away 4-Year-Old Girl In Tamil Nadu, Search Underway

 A leopard attacked and reportedly took away a four-year-old girl from her house in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district on Wednesday evening. 

The incident took place when the minor, identified as Roshni, was playing outside her home in the hill town of Valparai. 

The leopard allegedly lifted her and took her away to the nearby forest area, the officials said. 

Forest officials and police have launched an intensive night-long search operation following the incident.

Visuals show teams with searchlights, drones, and sniffer dogs combing the dense, hilly terrain. 

A senior police officer told NDTV, "Forest officials and police are jointly searching the area."

The attack has triggered widespread panic among local residents.

Forest areas in the plains and hill districts in Tamil Nadu have increasingly become hotspots for man-animal conflict, especially involving leopards and elephants. 

With growing concerns, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has been installing AI-based camera alert systems in sensitive zones to detect wildlife movement and warn residents in real-time. 

Authorities are appealing for calm while intensifying their efforts to locate the child and safely track the leopard. Residents have been advised to remain indoors after dark and keep children under supervision.