India: leopard snatches 3-year-old from mother's lap

Alipurduar, Jan 16 (PTI) A leopard snatched away a three-year-old girl from her mother's lap after entering their home at a tea garden in West Bengal's Alipurduar district, officials said Wednesday.

Parts of her body were found scattered in the Garganda tea garden in Madarihat area of the district this morning.

The leopard sneaked into the house in the labour line on Tuesday night and grabbed Pranita, who was on her mother's lap, the officials said.

Pranita's mother Puja Oraon fought the leopard but failed and it fled with the baby. "I tried my best. It was so large... I could not save her," said a crying Oraon.

Locals searched for the girl the entire night but could not find her, the officials said, adding that parts of her body were found in the tea garden this morning.