Bengaluru, March 2 A three-year-old girl was mauled to death by a leopard at Karnataka's Baichanalli village in Tumkur district, a police official said on Monday.
Tumkur is 70 km north west of Bengaluru.
"The girl was playing in front of her house around 8 p.m. on Saturday when the leopard carried her away and mauled her to death," Tumkur district Superintendent of Police Vamsi Krishna told .
The girl's family found her body around 10.30 p.m. with bite marks on her hands and face.
Krishna said state Forest Minister Anand Singh visited the family of the deceased girl and promised compensation.
"The minister has also ordered the forest department to capture the leopard. On Saturday, a leopard was captured, making it the third leopard to be caught in the last four months," said Krishna.
The forest department also set up 25 traps to capture the leopard, including cameras. Krishna said the police department is also helping the forest department in capturing the big cat.
A team from Bandipur tiger reserve had visited Tumkur in January to help the district officials in averting leopard kills.
"We are planning to call the Bandipur team again," said Krishna.
The three-year-old girl's death was the fourth fatal leopard attack in Tumkur in the last four months.
Earlier, 60-year-old Lakshmamma from Kuppe village, 60-year-old Anandiah from Doddamaralavadi and a 5-year-old boy were killed between October and January.
( With inputs from IANS )