JAIPUR: A leopard, which allegedly killed four people and injured 14 in the last six months, was captured by the forest department in Zawar mines forest region on Thursday.
A massive combing operation with 80 forest staff was initiated after the leopard frequently attacked and became a danger to human life.
The male leopard was trapped in a cage that had a goat as the bait. A forest official said, “After examining the pugmarks, we realised that the leopard that killed and injured humans was caught. After seeing the leopard’s pugmarks near the village, the cage was set up to trap the animal. The big cat was shifted to Sajjangarh biological park.”
Green activists were elated that the animal was successfully rescued as villagers and their representatives were demanding that the big cat be shot dead.
Anil Rogers, who deals with human-leopard conflict situations and wildlife related issues said, “It was observed that one of the canines of the animal was broken, though it’s purely a matter of investigation. History says many leopards and tigers who turned man eaters had similar problems. When they are unable to hunt natural prey, they shift to humans who are easy target for them.”
Villagers of Singatwara and Nelatalai also heaved a sigh of relief. Hari Mohan of Singatwara village said, “As the wild cat was on the prowl, we were not able to go to our fields and take cattle out for grazing. This was leading to monetary losses too.”
