If you were thinking about going to Nepal (or, if you already live there), consider yourself warned: there's a man-eating leopard on the loose that, so far, has killed and devoured 15 people, including 10 children. The most recent victim was a 4-year-old child, who was reportedly snatched from his family's yard by the jungle cat and taken into the forest where authorities found his head.

While it seems possible that multiple leopards could be behind the attacks, local authorities and wildlife officials believe just one, or maybe two, animals are to blame. But why is it eating people, you ask?

Maheshwor Dhakal, an ecologist at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation in Kathmandu, has a gruesome theory.

"Since human blood has more salt than animal blood, once wild animals get the taste of salty blood they do not like other animals like deer," Dhakal said.

Sounds like something out of a horror movie, right? But he is a scientist, so I suppose it's true.

Authorities are offering a reward of 25,000 rupees, or $280 - roughly three months average wages for a Nepalese villager - for the capture of the animal, dead or alive.

[Insane picture of another leopard attack via AP]