Rs 15 lakh compensation for leopard victims: CM

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced a compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the families of leopard attack victims. “It will be on the lines of elephant attack compensation. Earlier, leopards used to be sighted in areas surrounding forest patches, but now they are being seen around Bengaluru,” he said adding that the Forest Department is keeping cages and combing areas to trap leopards and relocate them. He added that special teams were being formed to undertake search operations.

Meanwhile, though no new leopard sightings were reported in and around Bengaluru on Saturday, the Forest Department received reports of a leopard killing a calf at Kurubahalli in Tavarekere at 5.30 pm on Saturday.

A forest official said, “There has been no direct sighting of the leopard, but from the spot inspection, it is concluded that a leopard attacked the calf. It ran away and the injured calf died later. We have also combed areas around Devanahalli and Yelahanka and there have been no signs of leopards. CCTV camera footage of the last three days has also been checked and no leopards have been sighted.”