Leopard Trapped After Five Month Chase In Dudhwa Buffer Zone

A five-month-long operation to capture an elusive leopard in the Dudhwa buffer zone ended early on Tuesday when forest officials successfully trapped the animal in a cage near a sugarcane field in Bhidauri village under Singahi police limits of the North Nighasan forest range.

The leopard had been under surveillance since January 10, when it allegedly killed 35-year-old Usha Devi while she was working in a field. Forest officials said pugmarks and camera-trap images confirmed that the captured animal was the same leopard involved in the attack.

Dudhwa buffer zone deputy director Kirti Choudhary said teams had been monitoring the leopard’s movements through drone surveillance, camera traps and pugmark tracking. A medical examination revealed that the animal was a healthy female leopard aged between three and four years.

Sub-divisional officer Manoj Tiwari said approval had been granted to release the leopard in the Kaimur forests of Mirzapur after necessary procedures.

Meanwhile, forest teams continued their search for another leopard suspected of killing seven-year-old Shubham in Laljipurwa village under the Dhaurahra range on Sunday. Officials said pugmarks indicated the animal’s presence near Kanhaiya Deen Purwa, but attempts to trap it have so far failed. Five cages, five cameras and drone surveillance have been deployed.