Udupi, Aug 4: Personnel of the Forest Department trapped a leopard at Malady village near Kundapur in the district on Saturday.
The big cat’s movement had created a sense of fear among the people of the village in the past three months, and it had even eaten some dogs there. Forest officials subsequently set up a cage to trap the leopard about a week ago.
The local Thekkatte Gram Panchayat too was involved in the operation. A goat was purchased to be used as bait and kept in a section of the cage in the evenings for the past six days. But the leopard did not fall for it. A couple of days ago, three dog pups were kept in the cage as bait. The leopard caught the smell and moved into the cage and was trapped.
After people saw the leopard trapped early in the morning, they informed forest officials, who took the cage from Malady to Kundapur. A large number of people gathered at the spot after hearing the news.
Sharath Shetty, Range Forest Officer, Kundapur, said the leopard was male and three years old. A veterinarian conducted a check-up and found the leopard to be healthy. The feline was later released in the forests of Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, he said.
Meanwhile, locals said two more leopards were moving around in the area. They urged officials to catch them as well. However, Mr. Shetty said the presence of multiple leopards in the same area was rare.
Comments
Add new comment