Lucknow, May 8: Maneka Gandhi’s appeal to Uttar Pradesh forest officers not to declare a leopard a “man-eater” failed to save its life, reports our special correspondent.

The animal was killed by a 200-strong mob today at Dhauraha village in Lakhimpur-Kheri, 170km from Lucknow. The village is near Dudhwa National Park from where the leopard had strayed in.

State wildlife officers had earlier sought permission to put down the leopard because it had killed five villagers.

But former Union minister Maneka wrote to the district magistrate saying this did not make it a man-eater. The officials who were to hire shooters then went slow.

But the villagers took over, killing it with spears and sticks before burning the body, forest ranger S.K. Tewari said.