A leopard that killed a two-and-a-half-year-old girl in ward 6 of Khajura Rural Municipality, Banke, was captured on Friday morning after a 19-day search.

According to the Division Forest Office, Banke, the leopard had attacked Birendra Pun’s daughter, Laxmi Pun.

The victim had been missing since September 15, and her body was discovered two days later, partially eaten, in Jijara Community Forest, around one kilometre from her home.

Teams of security personnel, technicians, and locals, aided by two elephants from the national park, were deployed to search for the leopard. The search effort included setting up cages and CCTV cameras in the forest area.

The captured leopard has been taken to the forest office.