Forest department rescues injured leopard from Indira Nagar in Wagle Estate
Forest department personnel and rescue teams have successfully rescued an injured male leopard from the Indira Nagar locality of Wagle Estate in Thane. The animal, estimated to be between four and five years of age, was captured on Sunday morning after being spotted in the area over the weekend.
The leopard was found with wounds on the pads of all four of its paws. It also had a deep gash on its hind leg, along with multiple scars across its body and tail. Forest officials believe the animal sustained these injuries during a fight with another wild animal.
The rescue operation began after residents of Indira Nagar, which is located within the buffer zone of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), reported several leopard sightings in the vicinity over the course of several days. On Saturday evening, forest staff and personnel from the State Security Corporation spotted the injured leopard perched on a tree.
Forest officials and volunteers from the wildlife organisations WWA and RAWW quickly arrived at the site. Upon observation, the team noted that the leopard's movements were severely impaired due to its injuries. However, because of the darkness, the rescue team decided to defer the capture attempt overnight.
The rescue team resumed their search at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning. They eventually located the injured leopard lying in the undergrowth, roughly 70 to 80 metres away from the tree where it had been spotted the previous night.
Because the leopard was too weak to be safely secured with a net, SGNP veterinary officer Dr. Vinaya Jangle tranquillised the animal using a dart gun. Once the animal was safely sedated, the team moved in to secure it.
The leopard was provided with preliminary medical treatment on-site before being transferred to the leopard rescue centre at SGNP for further care. The successful rescue brought relief to the residents of Indira Nagar, who had been on edge since the animal was first spotted on Saturday night.
