Leopard recuperates in Indian biological park

Mangalore Feb 13: The leopard which was caught after an eight-hour joint operation by the police and forest department officials with the support of localites on Sunday night, is recuperating in the Pilikula Biological Park near Vamanjoor.

Park Director H Jayaprakash Bhandary said that the female leopard, aged between 3 and 4 years, has suffered injuries at its front leg and head.

“The leopard has been kept at Animal House, a huge enclosure with 4 to 5 rooms and is being treated,” he said and added that the “the leopard will be kept under observation for four to five days.”

At present the Park has four leopards out of which three are males (Chandu, Shankara and Lakshmana) and one female (Varada) and if everything goes on well, the new leopard may be allowed to mix with the male leopards, he said.

To a query on the straying of the new guest in busy area of Kankanady on Sunday noon, Mr Bhandary said that the leopard might have boarded a truck in Western Ghat region and would have alighted near Kankanady when the truck had stopped.

He also recalled the incident wherein a leopard had strayed into Light House Hill area a couple of years ago.

Besides leopards, the Park has five tigers (3 males and 2 females) and two lions (one male and one female).

Elephant calf

The Biological Park has received another guest – an elephant calf 10 days ago.

It all happened when a few localites in Charmadi Ghat region spotted a elephant calf in a pit. Immediately, the Nisargadhama was informed and the officials rescued the elephant calf, aged about 20 days when it was found.

The baby elephant had suffered injuries in its eyes and navel. “The baby elephant is fast recovering and every two hours, the Park staff feed cow?s milk,” Mr Bhandary said.

–Deccan Herald

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