150-day effort pays off, crafty spotted cat finally caught in snare
Forest officials pose with the captured leopard (inside the van) at the Icrisat campus on Sunday morning (Photo:DC/File)
Hyderabad:A leopard which gave scientists and staff at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) on the city outskirts sleepless nights for four-and-a-half months, was caught in a snare set up by foresters on Sunday morning.
Foresters found a huge male leopard, aged 5 to 6 years and weighing around 70 kg. It had grown fatter by around 15 kg by feeding on the abundant prey in the 3,800-acre campus, as well as goats set up as bait previously.
Despite activists crying foul over the use of snares to trap wild animals, the foresters cited the safety of the lives of the scientists to justify their decision. The leopard was caught in the snare near a Icrisat cattleshed.
A team of wild life experts, led by retired divisional forest officer Sekhar Reddy and Nehru Zoo veterinary assistant surgeon Dr P. Srinivas Reddy, tranquilised the animal and took it out of the campus in the animal rescue vehicle of the zoo.
Recounting the efforts to capture the leopard, Dr Reddy said, “We had set up 16 camera traps to track the animal. A five- to seven-member team of forest officials used to stay put at nights.” Forest officials also laid nets to trap the leopard. “The leopard was so clever that it didn’t enter the trap but pulled the goat out through the iron bars,” he said.
On Sunday, however, around 4.30 am, the leopard was caught in the snare. Dr Reddy said, “We were surprised by its size. It was very ferocious.” He said the leopard had suffered only minor bruises. “A team of veterinary doctors examined the leopard. It was perfectly healthy so it was decided to release it.” The spotted cat was released in the evening near the Mananur forest area of the Amrabad tiger reserve.
“All these months it had not injured any human being. It had been caught more than a hundred times in camera traps,” Dr Srinivas said. Icrisat staff can now restart their morning walks and can get back to their two-wheelers instead of being confined to four-wheelers.
There was a danger that the animal could leave the campus and enter the BHEL Colony habitat nearby.” But that is danger past. Icrisat scientists and staff can restart their morning and evening walks, and can get back to their bikes instead of being confined to four-wheelers.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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