Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Jan 2: A leopard that had been giving sleepless night to people of Naravi and nearby villages since the last some weeks, was found caught in the trap laid out by the forest department at Marodi near Venoor on Wednesday December 31. The citizens of the area, after learning this incident, heaved a sigh of relief.

The leopard had entered the cattle shed of Salam in Madla on Monday, and dragged a calf away from there. The half-eaten carcass of this calf was found at a distance. The forest department staff thereafter laid out the bait of this carcass, believing that the leopard will come again searching for the remainder of its prey. This plan bore fruits, and the leopard got caught.

Venoor range forest officer, Subrahmanya Achar, and Naravi forest officer, Raghavendra, were involved with this operation.

The leopard was shifted to Pilikula Nisargadhama near Mangaluru in the same trap. It will remain in this trap till the wildlife division of forest department, Bengaluru, takes a final decision on its future.

Since sometime, there had been complaints of domestic animals and others vanishing at night, and citizens had said a leopard had been roaming in the area in search for prey. Therefore, the forest officials had shifted the trap from Andinje to Marodi.

The forest officials estimated the age of the leopard as eight years. At the same time, another leopard was sighted on Tuesday night at Komminadka in Mundaje near here. After the people and dogs raised a din, the animal ran away. The forest officials visited that place on Wednesday.