Baramulla, June 15: The wildlife department has ordered killing of a man-eater leopard that killed three children in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district in the last one week, officials said.

The decision came after the half-eaten body of a 12-year-old girl, identified as Rutba Manzoor of Bernate village, was recovered from a nearby forest on Tuesday. Local residents said the girl was taken away by the animal in the morning.

In its order issued, J&K chief wildlife warden Suresh Gupta said: “In exercise of powers, vested in me under subsection 1(a) of the section 11 of Wildlife (protection) Act, 1972 hereby accords the permission in favour of Wildlife warden North Division Kashmir to hunt or cause the said animal to be hunted forthwith after completing the required formalities.”

“That it shall be ensured that all efforts to capture the animal through trapping cages or tranquilizing have been exhausted before eliminating the animal,” the order said.knt