Showing indomitable courage, an 11-year-old girl saved her younger brother from a leopard attack in Devkundai Talli village in the district but was badly injured in the process.
The incident took place on October 4 when the girl identified as Rakhi was playing with her 4-year-old brother and was attacked by the leopard, her aunt Madhu Devi said, giving details of the incident.
Instead of running away, the girl lay over her brother to cover him and saved him from the big cat. Though the boy remained largely unharmed, she received severe neck injuries, Madhu Devi said.
The villagers soon gathered at the spot and raised an alarm following which the leopard ran into the forest.
She was rushed first to a nearby hospital from where she was referred to a higher centre considering the seriousness of the injuries she had received in the attack.
Her family took her to a government hospital in Delhi but the authorities there turned them away, the girl's aunt said.
When pleading with them all day came to nothing they approached Uttarkhand Tourism Minister and local MLA Satpal Maharaj on whose intervention the girl was finally admitted on October 7 to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital where she is out of danger, her aunt said.
The minister also gave Rs one lakh to the girl's family for treatment besides promising to meet other related expenses, his OSD Abhishek Sharma told PTI.
Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat also spoke on phone to the girl's relatives in Delhi and assured them of all help, saying he was proud of her exemplary act of bravery.
Pauri's District Magistrate DS Garbyal said the girl's name will be recommended for the bravery award.
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