MANGALURU: In a challenging operation that went on for nearly seven hours, the forest department officials rescued a male leopard aged about five years in Subrahmanya forest range limits on Friday.
At around 2am, the leopard attacked a couple when they had stepped out of their home to switch on the water pump.
While Chandrashekar sustained a fracture on his finger in the left hand, Sowmya suffered minor injuries.
RFO HT Raghavendra told TOI: “At around 3am, we received a message that an animal had attacked Chandrashekar Kamath and is wife Sowmya in Renjaladi close to Konaje reserve forest. The couple was not sure whether it was a leopard or a tiger. We rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to a hospital in Puttur.”
By around 5.45am, the team was back at the spot to examine the pug marks. By 8.30am, the leopard’s presence was confirmed and by 9.45am, it had climbed a tree.
Cage and nets were put in place. Additional staff including veterinarians Dr Yashaswi from the Animal Care Trust and Dr Murali from Hassan arrived at the spot and were present during the rescue operation.
By 12.15pm, the animal was darted from a safe distance.
It was a challenge to ensure that the leopard did not fall into the trench from the tree.
Luckily, it landed safely on the two-layer net.
By 12.45pm, the animal was rescued. It continues to be under observation.
Once the doctors declare it fit, it will be released in the forest.
V Karikalan, deputy conservator of forest, visited the spot.
The rescue operation was conducted by the forest officials of the Subrahmanya and Panja range in the presence of Subrahmanya sub-division ACF Austin P Soans, Panja range officer Manjunath, Subrahmanya RFO Raghavendra, police and an NGO.
Earlier, on February 3, a leopard had escaped after it spent more than 10 hours with a pet dog locked in a toilet located outside the house of late Venkappa Gowda, about 20-kms away from the spot.
Forest officials could not ascertain whether it is the same leopard that was rescued on Friday.