Leopard on prowl captured in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda

Image for representational purposes only. Image courtesy: Pexels

After weeks of search and tracking, a leopard that had been terrorising residents of a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district was captured on Saturday, officials said.

Personnel from the Wildlife Department and the Territorial Forest Wing caught the fully grown male leopard from Bhalra village, where it had recently injured a teenage boy and killed dozens of domestic animals, they said.

"The leopard had been terrorising residents of Bhalra village and adjoining areas, which are surrounded by dense forests, creating fear among residents. After being alerted by the villagers, our teams surveyed the area and laid a trap. The leopard was successfully captured early Saturday without the use of tranquilisers," said Range Officer Kishtwar Shafer Iqbal.

He said the animal was being safely transported to the Wildlife Rescue and Trauma Centre in Kishtwar for a medical examination, after which it would be released into its natural habitat.

Villagers, especially students and shepherds, who had been living in fear for weeks, said the capture of the big cat has brought them relief as it had killed dozens of domestic animals, including sheep, goats and dogs last week.

"Fear of the leopard kept us from attending college last week, as it had attacked a student from our village when he was on his way to school. We have to trek through dense forests to reach the nearest motorable road," said Kajal (20), a Bhalra resident.

"Now that the animal is captured, we can resume our classes. We are grateful to the wildlife and forest departments for their prompt action," the student said.

Meanwhile, forest department officers appealed to the villagers not to enter the natural habitat of wild animals unnecessarily, to avoid man-animal conflict.

"With increasing human encroachment in forest areas, the natural habitats of wild animals have shrunk steadily, leading to a scarcity of food. As a result, wild animals, particularly leopards and bears, venturing into human habitations in search of food have become more frequent in recent years," said Sameer Rishu, Range Officer of the Neeru Range of Bhaderwah Forest Division.

He urged the public to immediately inform the forest or wildlife departments if they spotted a roaming wild animal, instead of chasing it or attempting to record videos.

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