A buddhist monk who was meditating in a forest in India has been killed by a leopard.

The 35-year-old, named by local media as Rahul Walke Bodhi, was sitting under a tree in the Ramdegi forest in the western region of the country when the fatal attack took place.

Two other people were meditating with him but escaped unhurt, Maharashtra state police have said.

A senior police officer told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the monk’s body was “badly mauled” and “found further into the forest, indicating the animal tried to drag it along”.

The forest includes a protected reserve for big cats.

Police are also quoted as saying the monks, who were in the area for an annual prayer conference, had ignored warnings about the animals.

It is the fifth big cat attack in the region in the past month.

Officials estimate there are just over 12,000 leopards living in India.

The growth of urban environments means many of the wild animals live in closer proximity to humans.