By: SR SIDDIQUI
Residents of Devanpura village, on the edge of the Kakraha Range in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, finally exhaled on Friday morning. The young female leopard that had been slipping into their fields night after night, snatching goats and keeping families awake in fear, was safely captured before first light.
Divisional Forest Officer Apoorv Dixit said the operation began after a string of livestock kills and repeated sightings. Determined to stop the growing human-wildlife friction before someone got hurt, forest staff secured the required clearances and set a carefully placed cage in the trouble zone. A goat was tethered inside as bait.
Just after 4 a.m., the leopard walked in. She was taken without a scratch.
Veterinary officer Dr Deepak Verma examined the roughly two-to-three-year-old female and declared her healthy, alert and ready to travel. Forest officials have already begun the process of moving her to a suitable natural area, following National Tiger Conservation Authority and state protocols.
Dixit urged people living near the forest to stay alert and report any wild-animal sightings at once to the nearest outpost. Quick information, he said, is the best way to keep both villagers and wildlife safe.
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