An unusual incident occurred in UP's Umri village under Fakharpur police station limits, where a a man accidentally got trapped himself inside a cage set up by the Forest Department to catch a leopard. Video of this incident has surfaced on social media.
Pradeep Kumar, a local from same village, allegedly sneaked towards the cage late night, in an attempt to steal a goat tied inside a bait. He saw the goat and wanted to get closer, so he went into the cage. The cage door closed automatically as soon as he was inside, and he couldn't get out. He tried to open a door but failed.
After struggling for several minutes, he called acquaintances for help. Alerted by the information, villagers rushed to the spot and notified the Forest Department. A forest team soon arrived, unlocked the cage, and freed him. Once released, Pradeep claimed he was only "checking whether it was functioning properly" and ensuring the goat's safety, a claim met with skepticism by the villagers. The Forest Department had set up the traps, baited with live goats, after a leopard attack two days prior resulted in a woman's death, aiming to prevent further human-wildlife conflict.
DFO Ram Singh Yadav termed the incident “humorous but extremely risky.” He warned that the heavy cage door could have caused serious injuries if it had fallen on him, and the situation could have turned fatal if the leopard had been nearby. He reiterated the department’s appeal to locals to stay away from the cages, noting that interference hampers rescue operations.