Forest department traps leopard in Mandya

A leopard, that was causing trouble to the people of Anechakanahalli and surrounding villages finally fell into the trap laid by the Forest department, on Monday, near Kikkeri, Mandya district.

It may be recalled that a leopard cub that was separated from its mother, was found dead at the village last week. It had died after falling into a pit, while dragging a pet dog, according to sources. This had created panic among the residents, who complained of frequent sightings of leopards in the region. Based on the complaints, the Forest department placed a cage to trap the leopard cub's mother and the personnel were camping in the village to observe the movements of the wild cat.

As expected, the leopardess fell into the trap on Monday night. It might have strayed into the village for food or in search of the cub, said department personnel.

Learning about the leopard trapped in the cage, the residents of the village started arriving in large numbers to have a glimpse of the leopard, creating a lot of commotion. Personnel shifted the cage to the Forest department's taluk office.

The wild cat would be kept under observation to monitor its health and later released into the forest, as guided by higher officials, said Taluk range officer Gangadhar.