CHANDRAPUR: Two days after forest department set up a cage, the leopard which created trouble on Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station's premises was captured in the wee hours of Saturday.
Forest department and the CSTPS security were on their toes since last three weeks after the leopard was noticed on the premises. Recent incidents of attacks on a dog and a goat stirred the residents of the colony, who in turn made the forest authorities install a cage. The cage was laid in a shrubby area close to the residential colony on Thursday night and camera traps were installed around it to watch the beast's movement.
Though the beast eluded the cage on Thursday night, it got trapped in the wee hours of Saturday. Chandrapur RFO Abhay Badkelwar confirmed the trapping. "The cage was moved out of CSTPS premises and after fitness examination by a veterinary doctor, leopard was released in a distant place," he said. The leopard is an adult male aged around four years, Badkelwar added.
Carnivore intrusion is common on CSTPS premises, thanks to a vast expanse of green cover. Wildlife activist Bandu Dhotre who assisted in caging the leopard, claimed that capturing of the beast is not a permanent solution to the problem. "There have been instances when even tiger has been sighted inside the CSTPS premises. To resolve the problem, management needs to clear the shrubby area close to residential colony and along the roads. High-mast lights should be installed to keep the area lighted and intrusion of cattle grazers should be checked," he stressed.
Dhotre did not rule out the possibility of the leopard returning into the same habitat after some time. The chances of other leopard or tiger occupying the same habitat too are strong, if remedial measures are not taken up, he added.
Forest department and the CSTPS security were on their toes since last three weeks after the leopard was noticed on the premises. Recent incidents of attacks on a dog and a goat stirred the residents of the colony, who in turn made the forest authorities install a cage. The cage was laid in a shrubby area close to the residential colony on Thursday night and camera traps were installed around it to watch the beast's movement.
Though the beast eluded the cage on Thursday night, it got trapped in the wee hours of Saturday. Chandrapur RFO Abhay Badkelwar confirmed the trapping. "The cage was moved out of CSTPS premises and after fitness examination by a veterinary doctor, leopard was released in a distant place," he said. The leopard is an adult male aged around four years, Badkelwar added.
Carnivore intrusion is common on CSTPS premises, thanks to a vast expanse of green cover. Wildlife activist Bandu Dhotre who assisted in caging the leopard, claimed that capturing of the beast is not a permanent solution to the problem. "There have been instances when even tiger has been sighted inside the CSTPS premises. To resolve the problem, management needs to clear the shrubby area close to residential colony and along the roads. High-mast lights should be installed to keep the area lighted and intrusion of cattle grazers should be checked," he stressed.
Dhotre did not rule out the possibility of the leopard returning into the same habitat after some time. The chances of other leopard or tiger occupying the same habitat too are strong, if remedial measures are not taken up, he added.
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