A large-scale search operation is underway in the forested areas of Valparai in Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s Coimbatore district after a four-year-old girl was reportedly seized by a leopard and dragged into a nearby tea estate on Friday evening.
The missing child, identified as Roshini Kumari, is the daughter of migrant workers Manoj Mundha and Monica Devi from Jharkhand. According to forest officials, the incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. at the Pachamalai estate, situated within the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR). The girl was said to be assisting her mother in fetching water from a tap behind their house when the leopard, believed to have been lurking in the tea bushes, suddenly emerged and carried her away into the thickets.
Monica Devi immediately raised an alarm, prompting nearby residents to rush to the spot. Forest personnel and police teams were swiftly alerted and commenced a night-long search operation. Despite their efforts, the child could not be located overnight. Her blood-stained clothing was later discovered within the estate area, intensifying fears regarding her safety.
Rescue teams, equipped with drones, sniffer dogs, searchlights, and camera traps, have been combing the dense, hilly terrain. Six camera trap units have been deployed in suspected leopard movement zones around the estate to assist in tracking the animal. &ldquo;We found multiple pugmarks in the area, but no blood traces due to intermittent rain,&rdquo; a forest official said, noting the difficulties of searching in terrain known for other dangerous wildlife.
The incident has triggered considerable panic among local residents. Authorities have issued advisories urging people to remain indoors after dusk and ensure children are not left unattended, especially near forest fringes.
This is the third such leopard-related incident in Valparai in recent months. In October 2024, four-year-old Apsara Khatun, also from a migrant family from Jharkhand, was killed by a leopard near the Uzhemala estate. A month earlier, on 6 November 2023, a seven-year-old boy named Pradheep was injured in a similar attack in the Sirukundra area, which also lies within the Anamalai Tiger Reserve limits.
Wildlife experts have reiterated the need for long-term conflict mitigation strategies, including the installation of protective fencing, improved lighting in labour lines, and the possible relocation of high-risk settlements away from forest edges.
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has begun deploying AI-enabled camera systems in conflict-prone areas to provide real-time alerts to residents. Officials have urged the public not to panic and assured that all efforts are being made to locate the missing child and trap the leopard responsible for the attack.&nbsp;
(With inputs from IANS)

Roshini vanished into the wild, search continues

A leopard seized the girl while she was fetching water with her mother behind their house

Leopard Carries Off 4-Year-Old Girl in TN; Hunt On

A leopard seized the girl while she was fetching water with her mother behind their house

June 21, 2025 | 15:13 IST