PUNE: An adult leopard which created quite a stir after it was spotted napping on the side of a highway near Dhotre village, in Ahmednagar district, was successfully rescued by Wildlife SOS and the Maharashtra Forest Department recently.
The leopard was aged approximately 6 years. On Saturday, residents of Dhotre village were shocked to find a leopard taking a cat nap on the side of a nearby highway.
Concerned for their safety, the alert villagers promptly informed the Forest Department who then called the Wildlife SOS team, operating out of the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre, for assistance.
Over 300 villagers became spectators of the rescue. As the first step, the rescue teams locked in on the leopard’s location and secured the area, following which the Wildlife SOS veterinarian tranquillised the big cat from a safe distance. The leopard was carefully shifted into a transport car and is currently under the care of the Forest Department.
Dr Chandan Sawane, Veterinary Officer, Wildlife SOS said, “Such rescue operations are highly sensitive and need careful planning to ensure the safety of the animal and the crowd. We were able to provide an effective and timely intervention with the help of the Forest officials.”
Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS said, “Spotting a leopard can certainly be startling for the villagers, even if they are sharing the habitat with this majestic big cat. Over the years, Wildlife SOS along with the Maharashtra Forest Department, have conducted several awareness programmes and workshops to sensitise the locals about leopard behaviour and movement. It is rewarding to see these efforts paying off as the villagers followed the protocol and informed the concerned authorities to deal with the situation.”
Anil Jagannath Rane, Range Forest Officer, Takli Dhokeshwar Range said, “When the villagers spotted the leopard, they called us immediately. Afterwards, we informed the Wildlife SOS team, who arrived at the location. Once we managed to control the huge crowd that had gathered, the Wildlife SOS veterinarian carefully tranquilised the animal. The leopard is currently recuperating under our care and will soon be released.”
