Trapped leopard rescued near Sakleshpur, released into forest

A leopard that was battling for life after being trapped in a snare laid by wild boar poachers was rescued by the Forest department at Chimmikole village in Sakleshpur taluk, Hassan district, on Monday.

The two-year-old animal was accidentally caught in a snare that was laid to trap wild boars in the forest near a coffee plantation.

A farmer, who found the leopard struggling to free itself, informed the Forest officials. Assistant Conservator of Forests Ramesh Babu, Range Forest Officer G K Sudarshan and staff visited the spot. Hundreds of villagers gathered at the spot and the big cat started roaring out of fear. The Forest officials were seen struggling to control the surging crowd.

When the Forest officials tried to capture the leopard with the help of a net after freeing it from the snare and release it into the nearby forest, the villagers raised objections.

They claimed that the leopard might attack labourers working in the plantation if released into the forest here. They forced the officials to release the leopard into a distant forest. The Forest officials relented and released the leopard into the Moorukannu Gudda forest.
DH News Service