Leopard attacks have increased due to more people sleeping in the open, official said. (Representational)

The Gujarat forest department has placed 24 cages near a village in Junagadh district to trap leopards, a senior official said today.

The move follows the death of a 60-year-old man in a leopard attack in Visavadar village in the district, some 390 kilometres from the area, said Saurashtra Chief Conservator of Forest DT Vasavada.

"After the death of Valabhai Manandabhai Maru on Saturday, we decided to set 24 cages with bait to trap leopards. We have placed the cages after studying pug marks in the village and adjoining areas. Each cage has a goat or a dog in a partitioned enclosure to lure leopards," Vasavada said.

He said leopard attacks have increased due to more people sleeping in the open in these areas as well as unregulated disposal of food waste, especially meat items, near homes.