A leopard walked into a cage set up by the forest department in a tea garden and another one was caught by villagers and handed over to foresters in Alipurduar on Monday.

An adult female leopard was trapped in Rajabhat tea garden (top) and forest officials suspect the animal was the one that mauled to death an eight-year-old boy on Saturday morning.

Umesh Munda's head had been yanked off by a leopard when he was on his way to deliver lunch to his father in the tea garden, 26km from Alipurduar town. Two other boys were with Umesh when he was attacked.

On Sunday, two cages had been set up in the estate an attempt to capture the animal.

On Monday morning, garden workers saw an adult female leopard in one of the cages and informed the forest department.

Ujwal Ghosh, the field director of Buxa Tiger Reserve, said: "We had set up two cages in the garden. The leopard was found in the cage close to the spot where the boy's body was found. We knew that the leopard that had killed the child was an adult female. The trapped animal is also an adult female. We have sent the leopard to South Khayerbari rescue centre. We have paid Rs 1.87 lakh to the family of the deceased as compensation."

Around 50km away from Rajabhat estate, another leopard was caught by the villagers of Rangalibazna area close to Khayerbari forest.

On Monday morning, local people spotted the female leopard in a jute field and informed the forest department. By the time the foresters reached the spot, the animal had injured two persons. Some villagers chased the animal and caught it. When foresters reached the area, the leopard was handed over to them. The injured are being treated at Shishubari health centre.

The leopard has been taken to the rescue centre at South Khayerbari. Pictures by Anirban Choudhury