A leopard was found trapped in a barbed wire fence on a plot of private land in Sirumugai near Coimbatore, on Sunday. Later in the day, officials rescued the animal and shifted it to a Forest Department facility for treatment.
Forest Department officials said the leopard was found trapped in a fence in Mothepalayam village, within the limits of Sirumugai forest range. Village residents found the leopard lying in shrubs and creepers in the morning. The carnivore was trapped in the barbed wires used for fencing. As people thronged the area, the leopard tried to move, which in turn tightened the barbed wires around it.
Forest Department staff from Sirumugai and nearby Mettupalayam range had rushed to the spot and moved the crowd to a safe distance. Police were also deployed at the spot. Forest Officer D. Venkatesh, said a Forest Veterinary Officer had rushed to the spot with a tranquillizer to rescue the animal.
