A 10-year-old male leopard, which had triggered panic among villagers on the forest fringes of Malayattoor, was trapped on Saturday night.
The animal was caught using a trap laid at Illithodu near Kochi. According to forest officials, the trap was laid after residents spotted the animal, which had preyed on domesticated animals.
“We had found the pug marks of the big cat in the area, and two days ago, it lifted a goat from a house,” said a forest officer from Kalady.
Residents had been frequently alerting officials to the presence of the animal in the region.
Forest officials said the leopard would soon be released into the jungle. “The animal has been transferred to the rescue centre at Kodanad. It will undergo check-ups by veterinary surgeons and released in a few days,” said a forest official.
