A series of leopard attacks has spread fear across Bardiya district, with three people killed within the past one month and renewed concerns over human-wildlife conflict.

On Wednesday, Parbati Dangi, aged 50, of Baidi in ward 10 of Barbardiya Municipality, was killed by a leopard while cutting grass in the nearby Phenapati Community Forest. The animal, according to the local people, mauled her throat, killing her on the spot.

Thirty-two-year-old Dinesh Tharu of ward 10 in Daphaiya of Barbardiya was mauled to death while he had gone into the Simrawa Community Forest on December 17. His body was later found with severe injuries to the chest, neck and thigh.

Earlier on November 28, fifty-nine-year-old Gopi Tharu of ward 11 of Barbardiya died after being attacked by a leopard while collecting fodder in the Kalabelbhar Community Forest.

Residents say fear has gripped the area as leopard attacks have continued despite repeated warnings. “People are terrified even to step outside their homes. The authorities have shown little urgency, and we are losing lives almost every day," said Tilku Chaudhary, a resident of ward 10 of Barbardiya.

According to the Division Forest Office in Bardiya, leopard attacks have claimed 11 lives in the district over the past five years. Official data show that in fiscal year 2021-22, two people were killed and two were injured by leopards. In 2024-25, four people lost their lives and 13 were injured, while in the current fiscal year, five people—two from Gulariya Municipality and three from Barbardiya—have been killed, with seven others injured.

Forest officials say efforts are under way to capture the problematic animal. “After the December 17 incident, we installed four trapping cages in the affected area,” said Shiva Bahadur KC, information officer at the office. “Camera traps have shown the leopard roaming around the cages, but it has not entered any of them yet.”

Wildlife experts say human encroachment into forest areas and shrinking prey bases are pushing leopards closer to settlements. Ajit Tumbahangphe, a wildlife expert at the National Trust for Nature Conservation, said leopards often attack people while they are collecting grass or working alone in forest areas. “Leopards, especially females with cubs or injured individuals, can become aggressive and venture into human settlements in search of easy prey,” he said, stressing the need for awareness programmes in high-risk areas.

Fear has deepened in ward 8 of Gulariya Municipality, where a leopard with cubs has reportedly been sheltering in a sugarcane field near the settlement. Locals say the animal has been sighted repeatedly attacking livestock. “We are scared to step outside our homes. Protecting our children has become a daily struggle," said Injat Ali Manihar, a local.

In recent months, leopards have killed goats and dogs in several wards of Gulariya, including Bhansartole, Asapur and Surajpur.