Leopard strays into habitation, injures two during rescue in Telangana

Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, May 28

Two personnel of the Hyderabad Zoo were injured when a leopard they were trying to rescue from a trapped wire mesh attacked them in Nalgonda district of Telangana.

It was after hours of chaos and panic that the cat was tranquilised and overpowered.

“While the rescue operation was on, the wild animal suddenly jumped on the forest official and a member of the rescue team from the Hyderabad Zoo, resulting in minor injuries below their knees,” a forest official said.

After the tranquilised cat became motionless, it was captured and put in a cage and shifted to Hyderabad.  

The leopard is suspected to have ventured out of a nearby forest area and got trapped in the wire mesh.

Local people saw it struggling to break free and informed the forest and police personnel. A rescue team was then summoned for the operation to nab the cat.

Two weeks earlier too, on May 14, a leopard was spotted on a road in Mailardevpally area near here creating panic among the local residents. But it was never captured and it escaped into the jungle.