Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Anil Moodubelle
Udupi, Jul 10: In an incident reported on Sunday July 10, a leopard that was troubling the villagers of Peranankila near Moodubelle here was caught in a trap laid by the forest department.
It is said that two leopards had been creating havoc in the area for the last three months, preying on cattle and other domestic animals. The worried and helpless villagers had approached the forest department several times with complaints.
Responding to their concern, the forest officials last week placed a cage with a dog inside near the house of one Shakuntala in Pernankila. On July 10, a leopard entered the catch to prey on the dog, and immediately, the cage closed and the wild animal was trapped.
The locals informed the forest officials who came to the spot and took away the leopard.
The leopard is said to be around two or three years of age. Hiriadka sub-divisional forest officer J Naresh informed that the leopard would be medically examined under the supervision of Udupi forest range officer H Ramesh and sent to Pilikula in Mangaluru. If necessary, further action would be taken on the advice of higher officers, he added.
Local forest conservator Manohar K, taluk panchayat member Laxminarayana Prabhu, Kodibettu gram panchayat vice-president Ganesh Shetty, and locals were present.
The villagers urged the forest officials to catch the other leopard too.