Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 16: The leopard, which had been sighted inside the premises of Vibgyor school, Varthur in the city last week, and had attacked two people before being caged, has escaped from Bannerghatta Biological Park where it was kept. The leopard was found to have made good its escape from the cage on Monday February 15 morning. Efforts made by forest department staff all day long failed to produce any result. This has sent shivers down the spine of people living in the southern part of the city.

There are different theories about the way the animal escaped from the park. It had to pass through three layers of hurdles before it could go out. Some claim that the only cage left in the park in which the leopard was kept had a hole. There are also theories which state that workers would have left door of the cage open inadvertently. But The leopard, which was suffering from glaucoma, succeeded in jumping 25 feet fence of the park and run away. It is also said that the leopard could wriggle through the railings of the cage as there was wide gap between the railings of the cage, because of the fact that it was kept in a cage meant for tigers. It is not known whether it escaped into the forests or entered the city. The forest officials are not too confident about finding it out. Veterinarian of the park, Dr Manjunath, said that the leopard has the capability of maneuvering its body through narrow railings if it succeeds in moving its head out of the cage.

The leopard, which was apprehended in an operation lasting ten hours on February 7 had been kept in a cage in the second block of 'Kanchanganga' rehabilitation and treatment centre for animals inside the biological park. A guard named Gireesh, who was on night duty at the park, noticed at around 6.30 am on Monday that the leopard had gone missing. He told higher officers later that when he looked around for the animal, he saw that the leopard had jumped out of the barbed wire fencing.

If the leopard had moved towards the national park located nearby, the officials can heave a sigh of relief. But, if it had run towards the city, it can wreak havoc. The forest department officials therefore, are trying to locate the paw marks of the leopard to determine its current location.

Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Karnataka, Dr Ravi Ralph, said that an investigation would be conducted into the things which enabled the leopard to escape. He added that a detailed report would be submitted within a week. A senior forest officer said that the leopard most likely will try to target smaller preys like dogs and sheep as it does not have left molars and its eyesight is impaired in one of the eyes.