A leopard which was on the prowl was caught by the Forest Department on Monday morning at Kolur, near Bheemanakuppe, in Kengeri limits. This comes close on the heels of a leopard being caught near an apartment complex in Begur.
According to A.A. Gopal, Range Forest Officer, Kaggalipura, the nearly five-year-old leopard had been sighted multiple times over the past fortnight in Bheemanakuppe, Kolur and surrounding areas by local residents who had also complained about the disappearance of their dogs and goats.
“Many residents were scared to step outside their homes. We had kept two cages – one in Bheemanakuppe and another in Kolur, which is around 4-km away. The young male leopard was trapped in a cage at Kolur around 4.30 a.m. on Monday,” he said.
Forest officials suspect that the wild cat could have strayed into human habitation in an attempt to escape the blasting at nearby Muddenapalya, where a government housing project is coming up. “But we cannot say for sure that this is where the leopard is from. Wild cats roam in a 40-km radius,” they said.
A senior official said the leopard underwent a medical test and the health assessment report is awaited. “Veterinarians checked the animal’s claws and teeth, and also for any physical injury. The animal is healthy, and will be released into the wild soon,” an official said.
Citing the case of the leopard that was caught at Begur, the official said health assessment had revealed that its hunting capacity had reduced. “The animal will once again stray into human habitation if released, since it cannot survive in the wilderness. The animal is currently in the Bannerghatta Rescue Centre,” the official added.
