As veterinarian Sujay crouched beside a narrow ledge on the window, he knew he had to be patient to get the best shot: either in the shoulder or hip of the animal that could tranquilise it hiding in the kitchen.
The crowd that had gathered to witness the spectacle proved to be a huge disturbance. Dr. Sujay took aim but had to abort the shot as someone pushed against his leg.
Eventually, forest officials drove back the crowd – which included policemen, journalists, camerapersons and residents of the area – and the shot was taken. The dart pierced the hip of the feline and in a matter of minutes, it was sedated.
“The crowd was a problem. It was a tense situation and we were dangling from a ledge. And people kept pushing against me. Luckily, nothing went wrong despite this,” said Dr. Sujay, who heads the team of veterinarians at Bannerghatta Biological Park.
At Jayanagar in Tumakuru, thousands had gathered on the narrow street in front of the house where the leopard was trapped. Roads were jammed as curious passers-by thronged the area, while even the police’s pleading and threats went in vain. For more than seven hours, the crowds circled in, while Forest Department officials attempted to rescue the leopard without hurting the animal or anyone else around. Even while the animal was tranquilised and being put in a cage, media personnel rushed into the house to get a closer view.
No lessons learnt
It was in February 2016 that a similar situation was witnessed outside a school when a leopard had entered in Varthur. As conservationist Sanjay Gubbi attempted to catch the animal, it pounced on him. The din and ensuing chaos caused by spectators may have caused the stressed out animal to attack.
On Saturday, Mr. Gubbi watched the Tumakuru rescue operation with dismay. “How can they allow thousands of people to gather at the spot? What if some mishap happened when the animal came out. The district administration should have enforced Section 144 (orders that prohibit more than five people from gathering) at the spot,” he said.
While even in ideal conditions, it may take up to 10 minutes for a tranquilised leopard to be sedated, in times of extreme stress, as can be caused by noise (which at times was deafening in front of the house), the animal can even not fall asleep, said Mr. Gubbi.
“The police or local administration do not understand the seriousness of the situation. And the Forest Department is not equipped to deal with crowds,” he said.
