A panther which chased a pup into a house in Kadur village was trapped in it after the panicked inmates ran out and bolted the doors from outside, in the early hours of Wednesday.
Forest officials who rushed to the village, about 25 kilometres from here, managed to drive the wild cat into a cage and brought it here. They now plan to release the Black Panther into the Kadur Reserve Forest area after getting it examined by the veterinarians.
Officials said the panther was chasing a pup which ran into the house of Kamala Shetty. The panther too followed it leading to panic among the family members. They ran outside but had the presence of mind to bolt the doors from outside.
According to Range Forest Officer, Prakash Poojary, the villagers called the officials at 8.30 a.m. It took them about 30 to 45 minutes to drive the panther into a cage. It was then brought to the Range Forest Office in Udupi.
“The panther did not kill or eat the pup because it was nervous. We will get the panther tested by a veterinary doctor here and later release it in Kudremukh National Park”, he said.
“It is rare to find a black panther in Udupi district. We do not know how it found its way to Kadur”, Mr. Poojary added.
