Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In a bid to detain the straying leopard in cage and free the residents of fear, a rescue team led by an expert veterinarian Dr Avinash Visalkar has arrived from Junnar on Tuesday. The team comprises 11 officials and personnel. in the team. The area has been cordoned off by Department of Forest (DoF) officials. Meanwhile, a cage has been placed near the trees and bushes behind Poddar School in Shambhunagar with two goats kept as bait.
Meanwhile, there were widespread discussions throughout the day as the leopard movement was not seen anywhere in the surroundings on Tuesday.
Earlier, sensation prevailed after a leopard was captured on CCTV while roaming in the Ulkanagari area early Monday morning. Following this, the DoF deployed a team including a range forest officer (RFO), guards, and other personnel from the tehsil level office. The forest personnel have set up iron cages, effectively creating a trap for the leopard. The team has not found any leopard footprints in the area, but the CCTV footage shows its movements, suggesting that it might have been residing in the bushes along the nullah for several days.
Did it come from Satara-Deolai hills?
DoF officials suspect that the leopard might have come from the Satara-Deolai hills. Local residents mentioned that there are many stray dogs in the area and their numbers have also decreased gradually. Stray dogs are a favorite prey for leopards. It may be noted that video clippings of the leopard straying from Ulkanagari to Shambhunagar have gone viral. Since July 12, its movements have been captured on CCTV.
It is believed that since stray dogs and some goats are easily available to the leopard in the area, no one has been troubled by it so far. However, parents are worried about their small children going outside their homes.
According to an honorary wildlife member Dr Kishor Pathak, it is a question how this leopard entered the crowded areas of the city. Those with CCTV in their homes are looking through their recordings. Accordingly, forest officials have also geared up to hold the leopard. The rescue team is planning how to capture the leopard based on whether it is male or female.
Patrolling underway
The range forest officer (RFO) Dada Taur said, “ We are carefully monitoring garbage collection trucks and a nearby drain and dense bushes, and cages have been placed at different spots. The DoF team has also increased the patrolling in the vicinity.”