The safety of schoolchildren in villages reporting big cat movement has become a major concern in Kheri, where at least six children have died in leopard attacks during the current financial year, including two recent fatalities on October 12 and 14.
The education department is also conducting awareness drives through cluster-level meetings, block education officers and parent-teacher meetings to reinforce safety guidelines. Forest officials are working with the education department to sensitise residents and students. During a recent visit to leopard-affected villages in Nakaha block, he advised parents to organise groups of 20-25 children, accompanied by four to six adults, for travel to and from school.
District basic education officer Praveen Tiwari said children’s safety was a top priority. Nighasan range officer Bhupendra Singh said awareness programmes and puppet shows were being organised in affected villages and schools to educate people about wildlife and safety measures.
Normal classes resumed after the animal was driven back into the forest.
Rakesh Kumar, a block education officer earlier posted in Bankeyganj, told Hindustan Times that students and teachers of Bhammapur school had been shifted to a neighbouring composite school after a tigress with cubs was spotted in a nearby field.
