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32-year-old woman killed in leopard attack near UP’s Dudhwa buffer zone
A leopard fatally mauled 32-year-old Sandhya Devi as she slept outdoors in Sahijana village near the Dudhwa buffer zone. Local and forest officials reached the scene, announced compensation, and launched monitoring and capture measures amid protests by villagers demanding the big cat’s capture. The incident adds to a pattern of fatal leopard attacks in the Dudhwa area this year.
Why It Matters
The killing underscores ongoing human-wildlife conflict around the Dudhwa reserve and the need for effective safety and wildlife management measures in border areas.
Timeline
6 Events
Article published; context on regional big-cat incidents
April 26, 2026
The article notes that this is the second fatality from big-cat attacks in the Dudhwa buffer zone this month and the sixth such case since January 10, with ongoing monitoring and capture efforts described.
Capture operations outlined
April 25, 2026
Location of the leopard would be traced through patrolling and drone cameras, with cages placed to capture the animal.
Compensation and safety advisories announced
April 25, 2026
Chaudhary said compensation would be given to the family and urged people to stay alert, avoid sleeping in the open, and not to work alone in the fields during evening and night hours.
Death confirmed; forest teams deployed
April 25, 2026
Dudhwa buffer zone deputy director Kirti Chuadhary confirmed Devi’s death in leopard attack and said forest teams were deployed to monitor movement and attempt capture after obtaining necessary permission from authorities.
Officials reach protest site
April 25, 2026
Nighasan sub-divisional magistrate Rajeev Nigam, deputy superintendent of police Shivam Kumar, local police and forest officers arrived at the protest site as residents demanded action against the leopard.
Leopard attack on Sandhya Devi in Sahijana village
April 25, 2026
A leopard mauled and killed 32-year-old Sandhya Devi while she was sleeping on a cot outside her hutment in Sahijana village, located in the north Nighasan forest range near the Dudhwa buffer zone.