Boy's Death After Leopard Attack Sparks Rabies Fears

A nine-year-old boy from a village situated on the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border has passed away 21 days after suffering a leopard attack in Barwani district. Health and forest officials are now investigating the possibility that the boy may have contracted rabies. The incident occurred on July 7 when the victim, Kunal, and another 10-year-old boy named Arun, were in the Moharat Mal village forest area tending to goats. They reportedly strayed into a leopard's resting place, leading to the attack. Kunal sustained severe facial injuries, while Arun was injured on other body parts. Both were initially treated at Sendhwa Civil Hospital before being transferred to MY Hospital in Indore. They were discharged on July 22. The potential development of rabies following the attack has prompted concern and a review of protocols by the forest department, pending official confirmation of the cause of death from the health department.