Leopard gets caught in snare

A leopard was found trapped in a snare suspected to be placed by poachers on a private cardamom estate at Komalikkudy in Bisonvalley village in Idukki on Saturday.

A cardamom estate at Komalikkudy in Bisonvalley village here had a rare guest on Saturday. A leopard got caught in a trap apparently set by poachers.

A sense of fear was palpable as this was the first instance of a big cat getting caught in a snare. People rushed to the spot to get a glimpse of the animal.

Villagers said poachers set up snares in buffer zones and plantation areas to trap animals such as sambar deer and wild boar. But people were not aware of the presence of a leopard in the area, they said.

One leg of the leopard was caught in the snare. Usually, poachers place traps in the night. Cardamom plantations are a preferred area due to their proximity to forests, the said.

On a lighter note, they said, plantation owners used to spread rumours of leopard sightings to prevent pilferage during the harvest season. No one would enter a plantation at night in that case, they added.

“Those who set the trap may not dare do it again. They would not have expected a leopard,” an officer attached to the Rajakkad police station said. Estate workers informed the police of the animal in the trap. Officials of the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) reached the estate and tranquilised it. It was taken to the PTR to be released there.