Woman Injured in Another Leopard Attack in Yamkeshwar, Villagers Demand Cages as Fear Grips Devarana
Dehradun, July 28, 2026: Fear has once again gripped Yamkeshwar block of Pauri Garhwal after a leopard attacked and seriously injured a woman in broad daylight on Monday. According to local residents, Smt. Pramila, wife of Manoj Kumar Gwari of village Devarana, was grazing goats near her house in the afternoon when a leopard hiding nearby pounced on her instead of the goats and tore flesh from her legs with its claws, leaving her severely injured. It was only after Pramila raised an alarm and other villagers gathered and shouted that the leopard fled the spot, saving her life. She was given first aid and taken for treatment.
Villagers said this is not an isolated incident. Just last week, a goat was killed by a leopard in the same area during daytime and the matter was reported to the Lal Dhang Range forest officer. In the last two weeks alone, the leopard has killed three goats and also preyed on a cow and bull in the village. A few days ago another woman from the village was also scratched by the leopard. Following repeated complaints by villagers, the village head of Devarana and District Panchayat member from Umroli to forest officials seeking urgent action for human and livestock safety, as well as proper treatment and compensation for victims, a forest department team visited and installed trap cameras in the village. However, no cages have been installed so far, allowing the leopard to roam freely and continue attacks. With the animal now showing aggressive behavior towards humans, residents fear it may turn into a man-eater. Children are not venturing into courtyards after sunset and parents are being forced to drop and pick up school children themselves out of fear.
Villagers have appealed to the Divisional Forest Officer and Range Officer, Lal Dhang, to immediately install cages through the forest department team and rid the area of the leopards to prevent further loss of human and animal life.
Uttarakhand has been grappling with increasing human-wildlife conflict for over two decades, with leopards being responsible for the majority of attacks in the hills. Between 2001 and 2021, official data recorded more than 700 human deaths and over 2,000 injuries due to leopard attacks across the state, with Pauri, Almora, Nainital, Champawat and Chamoli districts among the worst affected. The period saw several villages declared conflict zones after repeated incidents where leopards dragged people from fields and homes.
Since Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took office in March 2021, the state government has intensified efforts to address man-animal conflict but attacks have continued. From 2021 to mid-2026, the forest department has recorded over 60 human fatalities and more than 250 injuries caused by leopards, with a noticeable spike during the monsoon months when prey moves closer to human habitations. In response, the Dhami government has revised and increased ex-gratia compensation. At present, the state provides Rs ten lakhs lakh to the next of kin of a person killed in a wild animal attack, Rs ,3 lakh in case of permanent disability, and up to Rs 1 lakh for grievous injury, along with coverage of medical expenses. For livestock loss, compensation ranges from Rs 5,000 for goats to Rs 30,000 for cattle, depending on the animal. The government has also announced faster disbursal of compensation through direct benefit transfer and directed forest officials to install trap cages and undertake translocation in villages reporting repeated attacks.
Despite these measures, residents of Devarana say the delay in installing cages and the continued presence of multiple leopards in the area is putting lives at risk. With the latest attack leaving Pramila seriously injured, the demand for immediate caging operations and long-term mitigation has grown louder in Yamkeshwar.
