While news of the tragic attack of a leopard on villagers in India’s eastern parts and subsequent killing of the animal filled newspapers all of last week in more refreshing news a wild Leopard stuck in a pipeline near a school in Gujarat was rescued by forest officials.
A Leopard was stuck in a 20 metre pipeline near a school in Amreli district of Gujarat. It was imperative to catch the animal because of its close proximity to the school and impending danger. Forest officials were called to the spot and in presence of large group of onlookers the Leopard was pulled out and caged by the rescue team.
Unlike the Prakash Nagar incident where the wild leopard roamed freely, here the leopard had been entrapped in a pipe line and perhaps that helped control his defensive traits a bit. It also helped the rescue team go on with their work without additional distractions from the onlookers. While humans fear Leopards, even Leopards are scared of humans and the crowd, particularly when they shout, poke and throw stones at the agitated animal, hampers rescue operations.
See Video of the Rescue Operation.
The human-animal conflict especially with leopards is on an all time high in many parts of the country. The reason is simple. Humans have been encroaching the forest lands so heavily that the leopard, one of the most adaptive cats, does not have any option but to venture into urban areas.
The story of the Gujarat leopard thankfully, had a happy ending without any human or animal fatalities.
Editor’s Note
It is often onlookers who pose problems in securing or rescuing the scared animal as was the case in Prakash Nagar village in east India. The leopard that had strayed into the village got so scared looking at the huge crowd that it became defensive and attacked people. It mauled 11 villagers before the rescue team used tranquilezer guns and knives to control it. The animal later died in a veterinary centre.
It was a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time for the leopard. An animal used to living in the wild, cannot be expected to meekly surrender when cornered by humans. Even small animals like rabbit or a rat, try to find escape route and would not mind biting if they feel threatened. The leopard is a predator and it knows how to defend itself far better than the smaller animals. Ironically, its killer instincts spelled doomed for this poor animal. In this particular incident, all attempts to capture the beast safely failed, but in Gujarat, the rescue team was luckier. It is imperative that people, school children, villagers and those living in the vicinity of forests are given practical training on how to behave in such situations so as to avoid any tragic outcomes.
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Article reference: 3news
Look at those big beautiful eyes, they just melt your heart!
Right on, to the ones who rescued this baby!
You are right Ruth, every rescue effort is worth cheering. Thanks for your comment.