Elusive Leopard Shot Dead In Bengaluru

After three days of intense search operations, forest department officials tracked the wild cat in the city's outskirts at Kudlu Gate near Electronic City in Bengaluru South. They had set a cage and tried to tranquilise and trap the leopard, but when their efforts failed, they shot down the leopard, officials said.

"The leopard had attacked the veterinary doctor Kiran and one more staff member. They were grievously injured. The leopard jumped to attack one more staff member. So, he shot it in self defense. We tried to revive the leopard in Bannerghatta but it died," Chief Conservator of Forest S S Lingaraja told reporters.

Lingaraja said the Chief Wildlife Warden had given permission to shoot the leopard when the animal started attacking people grievously.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Kumar Pushkar told PTI that the entire operation was taking place since morning. He said, despite their best efforts, the leopard could not be caught alive.

Pushkar said the leopard was very aggressive and started attacking people. "Three of the forest staff including a veterinarian were attacked while they were trying to catch it," Pushkar said.

"A representative of an NGO who was supporting us with the operation was also attacked by the leopard. So, finally the chief wildlife warden permitted it to be shot dead," he said.

No member of the general public was hurt during the operation, he added.

According to the forest officials, the veterinarian, who was trying to tranquilize the leopard using darts, was injured in the neck. Presently, he is being treated at a hospital.

The leopard was reportedly hiding in an abandoned building. The officers shot at the animal as it ran menacingly towards a forester standing near a snare, the officials said.

Quickly, the injured leopard was bundled into the cage, from where the feline was taken to the Bannerghatta Biological Park, where efforts to revive the animal went in vain.

Giving further details of the operation, officials said that a total of 70 personnel, including forest and police officials, were split into several teams. There were three NGOs that were helping the officials in their efforts.

A total of five cages were set up in places where the leopard had been spotted in the last three days.

Officials said the leopard was shot between 2.30 PM and 3 PM after the fourth person was attacked.

The big cat had recently strayed from the wild somewhere near the Bannerghatta Biological Park and was seen near Electronic City in Bengaluru south.

The matter came to light on October 29 after a CCTV footage showing the leopard inside the apartment premises in Kudlu Gate went viral on social media platforms. It was again spotted on the road, creating fear among the residents.

The foresters were on their toes to locate it and had deployed cages and drones. They also brought a few experts from Mysuru to catch the leopard.

Meanwhile, following the incident, wildlife activist Joshep Hoover said he has sent a email to Karnataka Environment and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre urging the need to set up specialised rescue teams in all the conflict areas of every district across the state where there are forest landscapes and man-animal conflict escalating so that we are better prepared in such situations in the near future.

"After seeing the video of how the leopard was being captured, it is so apparent that the animal was chased. When it comes? near the net, this person (forest official) just shoots it. When it was there, a tranquilizer could have been used instead," he told PTI.

He also stressed that the need of the hour is to have trained rescuers who can access, act and respond quickly in such situations.

-With PTI Input