Assam native's eight-year-old son mauled to death by leopard in Valparai

CHALAKUDY: An eight-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in Valparai near Kerala Kerala-Tamil Nadu border on Monday night. Noorjil Haq, son of Assam native Sarafat Ali, died in the ghastly incident. The incident took place at 6:30 pm on Monday in Waverly Estate, Kavarakallu, thirty kilometres from the Kerala border.

The boy, who was playing in front of the house, was attacked by a leopard that was hiding inside the labyrinthine tea plantation. Following the boy's disappearance, the locals and his parents searched, and the body was recovered in the middle of the tea plantation.

Hearing the commotion, the leopard, which was consuming the boy, scampered off. Most of the face and body parts were eaten and disfigured. On receiving information, Tamil Nadu Forest Department officials reached the spot. The body was shifted to the Valparai Government Hospital for a postmortem. Upon learning of the incident, plantation workers protested. A four-year-old girl was attacked and killed by a leopard in another place in Valparai weeks ago. This aggressive leopard was later caught in a trap.