This is the third instance of a leopard being found caught in a hunting foot trap in the Daund region over the past three years, raising serious concerns about the continued use of such unlawful and dangerous methods, an official said
After its rescue, the leopard is undergoing detailed medical assessment. Pic/ResQCT
A female leopard was safely rescued from a dangerous hunting foot trap in a sugarcane field at Nangaon village in Daund taluka of Pune district in Maharashtra, officials said on Friday.
The rescue operation was carried out by joint efforts of the Pune Forest Department and RESQ CT Team.
This is the third instance of a leopard being found caught in a hunting foot trap in the Daund region over the past three years, raising serious concerns about the continued use of such unlawful and dangerous methods, an official said.
The incident was first reported at 10 am by Aniket Shinde, Sarpanch of Nangaon village, who immediately informed Range Forest Officer Rahul Kale and the RESQ team. Forest Department staff of the Daund range and local RESQ CT team members reached the location by 11:00 am, followed by RESQ CT’s rapid response unit from Pune by 12:30 pm.
The adult female leopard, estimated to be approximately six years old, was found with her left front leg tightly caught in an iron foot trap. She was visibly exhausted, likely from struggling through the night. The leopard was safely immobilised and extracted by 1:15 pm, with immediate field stabilisation carried out by Dr Kalyani Thakur, said the official.
Dr Kalyani Thakur, Senior Veterinarian at RESQ CT, who led the on-site medical response, stated, “The limb was tightly constricted, with considerable trauma to the leg, and detailed radiographs will be conducted to assess the severity of injuries. The leopard has been admitted to the Wildlife Transit Treatment Centre, Bavdhan, Pune, and is now under close medical observation.”
Mahadev Mohite (IFS), Deputy Conservator of Forests (Territorial), Pune Division, strongly condemned the use of such devices, “Foot traps are not only inhumane but strictly illegal under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. We urge local communities to report any such activities to the Forest Department so that immediate and appropriate action can be taken. An official investigation into the incident is underway, and we are committed to identifying individuals involved in this.”
Emphasising the importance of joint response, Tuhin Satarkar, Director – Wildlife Management, RESQ CT, said, “This rescue underscores the effectiveness of collaborative wildlife response. Timely communication between village leadership, Forest Department personnel, and our rescue teams ensured the animal received urgent attention and care.”
According to the officials the people Involved in the rescue operation included, Forest Department Daund Range, Rahul Kale (Range Forest Officer), Yogita Veer (Round Officer), Sonal Chavan (Forest Guard) and from RESQ Charitable Trust Team -- Tuhin Satarkar, Amit Todkar, Nachiket Awadhani, Shreyas Kamble, Abhilash Bansod, Dr. Kalyani Thakur, Sagar Shinde, Prajwal Gaikwad and a local rescuer -- Govind Shelar (Shirur).
"The leopard is undergoing detailed medical assessment at the Wildlife Transit Treatment Centre in Bavdhan, Pune," said an official.
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