VIDEO REPORT – Straying Leopard Rescued

VIEW VIDEO OF RESCUE AT:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Straying-leopard-rescued-in-northern-India/tabid/313/articleID/192064/Default.aspx

Forest officials rescued a leopard that got stuck in a solar fence after it strayed into the Balawala residential area of Dehradun, the capital of India's northern Uttarakhand state.

Curious crowds gathered as news of the strayed leopard spread.

Ramgopal, an official of the forest department, said the three-year-old leopard got entangled in an electric solar fence that was originally put up to prevent the movement of elephants into the residential community.

"Our officials acted on the information that a male leopard was stuck in solar fencing. With the help of villagers and forest officials, we rescued the leopard and put it in a cage," said Ramgopal, who was a part of the rescue team.

The leopard was administered tranquilisers and removed from the fence.

Shailendra Vasishth, a veterinary surgeon, said it would take a couple of days before the animal fully recovers.

"As of now, its condition is not very good. Because of the crowd, the animal was feeling very irritated. So at this moment, it needs seclusion where it can get some rest. A couple of days later, when it receives some treatment, then it will recover," Vasishth said.

Recently, the Uttarakhand government set up a transit rescue centre for leopards in Haridwar district.

Incidents of animal attacks or straying wildlife are common in the region, since 14,000 villages are located at the periphery of Uttarakhand's jungles.

During the past decade, out of a total of 312 people who lost lives in attacks by wild animals, 203 have been killed by leopards alone

These official figures have forced forest authorities to declare 89 leopards as man-eaters - 44 of them were shot dead, according to official data.

bigcatrescue.org