In a rescue operation that lasted a couple of hours, the Forest Department officials tranquilised and netted a seven-year-old male leopard at Kethohalli in Mysuru Road on the outskirts of the city on Sunday.
The leopard was found in a field near the Big Banyan Tree, with injury marks on its waist and abdomen.
The officials said the animal must have come to the area around Saturday night, and had been injured by a barbed wire while prowling in the area.
The leopard was first spotted amid tall grass around 5.30 a.m. While a team of 15 forest officials arrived around 8 a.m., the rescue operations started only around noon.
“As there were many people around, we did not want to take the chance and agitate the leopard. It was resting, and we waited for the police to control the crowds. In the meantime, the team for tranquilising the animal as well as cages arrived,” said T.M. Devaraj, Range Forest Officer.
The rescue operations ended at 3 p.m., after which the animal was sent to the Bannerghata Biological Park. A veterinary doctor said the animal was healthy.
Common in the area
An official said this was the fifth such rescue from the area since January 2015. “The area is surrounded by relatively calm fields. The woods and sparse population have seen leopards thrive here. Only occasionally do they stray into crowded areas in search of stray dogs,” said the officer.
The department officials said the leopard was released into the nearby Bannerghatta National Park.
