Yet another maneater kill in Pauri Garhwal district

Yet another maneater kill in Pauri Garhwal district
Maneater leopard terror continues in Pauri Garhwal: Woman Killed in Taruli Village; Toll in the Area Reportedly Reaches 11

PAURI GARHWAL, October 9, 2026: Fear of maneater attacks continues to haunt villages in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district. In the latest reported incident, Bina Devi, a resident of Taruli village under Bacheli Gram Sabha, was allegedly killed by a leopard on Friday evening.

According to local information, forest department teams reached the spot following the incident. The latest death has renewed concerns over the safety of villagers, particularly women who regularly venture into nearby forests and fields to collect fodder and grass.

Residents recall that nearly a year ago, a woman was killed by a leopard while cutting grass near Koti village. That incident was reportedly the first in a series of fatal attacks in the area. Local accounts now put the death toll at approximately 11, although the cumulative figure requires official verification.

Local MLA Dr Dhan Singh Rawat has reportedly directed the Forest Department to provide immediate compensation to the bereaved family, intensify patrolling and install a cage to capture the leopard responsible for the attacks.
The latest incident has once again highlighted the growing human-wildlife conflict in the Garhwal hills, where repeated attacks have created anxiety among residents, especially women, children and elderly people.
Pauri Garhwal: Disturbing figures from recent years
Data reported by Amar Ujala for the Garhwal Forest Division recorded the following human casualties from all wildlife attacks, not leopards alone, between 2023 and 2025:
2023: 4 deaths and 40 injuries.
2024: 5 deaths and 81 injuries.
2025: 5 deaths and 111 injuries.
The three-year total was 14 deaths and 232 injuries. In 2025, the division recorded 116 wildlife-attack incidents, the highest among Uttarakhand’s forest divisions that year, according to the report. These figures cover wildlife conflicts generally and should not be interpreted as leopard-only casualties.
Leopard attacks have also repeatedly claimed lives in Pauri. In November 2025, a 62-year-old woman, Ginni Devi, was killed while collecting fodder near Koti village. In June 2026, another woman, Prabha Devi Rawat, was killed in Wadi village in the Kot block. These incidents underline the continuing danger faced by rural residents.
The Forest Department now faces renewed demands for sustained patrols, rapid-response teams, monitoring of leopard movement, safer access to fodder and grass, and timely compensation for affected families.
For residents of Taruli and neighbouring villages, the immediate priority is to prevent another fatal attack and ensure that people can carry out their daily activities without fear.