People panic as leopard leaps out of enclosure

Big cat broke through the rusted mesh

The incident took place around 5:20 pm when free range bonnet macaques (monkeys) were playing near the leopard’s enclosure.

Missed jump
Four-year-old Anchika, a female leopard, who was watching these monkeys, leaped to catch them and landed onto the rusted part of the chain-link mesh, which tore apart due to the pressure of the leopard’s leap putting the animal outside the enclosure. Since it was closing time for the Park, there were hardly about 35 to 40 visitors who were on their way out.

According to BBP’s wildlife veterinarian, Dr Chittiappa, though some of the visitors panicked and were looking for shelter, this did not agitate the leopard further.
“Although we came with tranquiliser darts, we did not have to use it as the leopard leaped again and went inside the enclosure. The animal did not hurt anyone in the incident,” added Dr Chittiappa.

Old and weak chain
The enclosure’s chain-link mesh is apparently about 20 years old, rusted and broke easily when the leopard leaped. The enclosure is being renovated with a new mesh.

Dr Chittippa said they had 24 leopards and the number has now increased to 33, with additional leopards being shifted from Mysore Zoo and two others rescued from the wild and sheltered in the Park. Unlike the other big cats like tigers or lions, leopards can easily climb trees and leap to any heights, due to their smaller anatomy.

BBP’s executive director R Raju said that the leopards’ enclosures have been made foolproof and the Park management has taken extra precautions to safeguard the cages without any loopholes.

Leopard safari
“We have too many leopards in our Park at present, we are planning to convert the area between the bear safari and lion safari into a leopard safari by constructing large enclosures and letting them in free range enclosures,” he said.

Lately, there were incidents of leopards entering villages around Bannerghatta. A leopard was found on NICE Road where it was allegedly killed by a speeding vehicle. Dr Chittiappa said leopards mainly come to hunt stray dogs, their favourite prey. While hunting for the dogs, they stray into the villages, he added.

BBP to be open on holidays
BBP normally remains shut on Tuesday as it is a holiday for the zoo keepers, but this time since it is a public holiday, the Park will remain open on October 25 (Naraka Chaturdashi) and November 1 (Kannada Rajyostava) despite being government holidays.

R Raju said that on these two days, a large crowd is expected at the Park and to benefit the visitors, the Park will remain open, he added.