Ranchi: A six-year-old girl was killed by a leopard in Jharkhand's Garhwa district, the third such incident in the Palamu division in the last 10 days, an official said on Tuesday.

Forest officials suspect that all three children were killed by the same leopard and the department is contemplating declaring it a man-eater, he said.

The big cat attacked the child, identified as Sita Kumari, when she went to attend the nature's call adjacent to her house in Sevadih village in the Ranka area, around 210 km from Ranchi, on Monday afternoon, Garhwa divisional forest officer (south) Shashi Kumar told PTI.

"Seeing the leopard grabbing the girl by her neck, villagers ran towards the big cat with sticks to save the child, following which the feline dragged her towards the forest. As the villagers reached there, the big cat fled leaving behind the girl, who died on the spot," he said.

Local forest officials provided an interim relief of Rs 10,000 to the next of kin of the deceased, and adequate compensation would be given as per the government's provision after the completion of necessary formalities, Kumar said.

This was the third such incident in the division in the last 10 days.

On December 14, a six-year-old child was killed by a leopard at Rodo village in the Bhandariya area of the district.

On December 10, a 12-year-old girl was mauled to death reportedly by the same leopard in the Chipadohar area in Barwadih block of Latehar district in the Palamu division.

The Garhwa DFO said the forest officials are making all efforts to cage the animal.

"We have put up a cage in the area where the girl was killed on Monday. It might return for the body," he said.

Kumar added they are also trying to declare the animal a man-eater so that appropriate action could be taken.

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