Bhopal, Nov 22 (IANS): A 10-year-old tribal boy was mauled to death by a leopard in Madhya Pradesh on Monday, police said.

A leopard attacked a group of boys playing on the road in Seoni district around 7 a.m.

"Seeing the leopard, the boys tried to flee but one of them was caught by the big cat and dragged into the forest," police said.

Later, angered by the incident, villagers reached the spot and tried to capture the leopard but in vain.

Meanwhile, forest officials were alerted and a rescue team reached the spot.

"A rescue team was called from the Pench National Park to tranquilise and capture the leopard. Villagers are very angry and wanted to kill the animal," a forest official said.

This is the fourth such incident within two months in the district when leopards mauled villagers to death.

Earlier on October 19, a 50-year-old woman was killed by a leopard when she was cutting paddy with other women in a field in Ugli village.

On October 16, a 16-year-old girl was killed by a leopard in the Kanhiwada forest area.

A similar incident had occurred in Mohhaon village when a man was mauled to death by a big cat on September 15.