In a rare and tense wildlife encounter on the southern fringes of Bengaluru, a courageous couple in Jigani successfully helped forest officials trap and rescue a leopard that had strayed into their home early Thursday morning.
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According to a report in The Times of India, the incident occurred in Kuntlu Reddy Layout, a densely populated area with no significant green cover within a 2km radius. Around 7 am, Venkatesh, who was recovering from a leg injury, and his wife Venkatalakshmi were enjoying their morning coffee and watching television when the unthinkable happened — a leopard silently entered their ground-floor home in a three-storey building.
How was the leopard rescued?
The big cat, unnoticed at first, walked past the couple and slipped into a room inside the house. The couple, frozen in shock for a few moments, quickly regained composure. Displaying remarkable presence of mind, they quietly exited the house and locked the door from the outside, ensuring the animal was trapped inside.
Word spread quickly, and soon over 2,000 curious onlookers gathered, climbing rooftops of nearby buildings to witness the unfolding drama. Forest officials, along with the Leopard Task Force, arrived within 30 minutes of being alerted. However, the operation to locate and safely tranquilize the leopard inside a compact 1BHK house was far from easy.
{{/usCountry}}Word spread quickly, and soon over 2,000 curious onlookers gathered, climbing rooftops of nearby buildings to witness the unfolding drama. Forest officials, along with the Leopard Task Force, arrived within 30 minutes of being alerted. However, the operation to locate and safely tranquilize the leopard inside a compact 1BHK house was far from easy.
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“It was risky to barge in without knowing where the leopard was hiding,” V Ganesh, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Bengaluru South division told to the publication. With visibility hampered due to overcast weather and limited indoor lighting, officials innovatively tied a mobile phone to a stick and inserted it through a ventilation window. Using a video call, they scoured the house remotely and eventually spotted the reflection of the leopard’s eyes — it was crouched beneath a cot in the corner of the room.
Darting the leopard required utmost caution. "The animal was already stressed. We couldn’t afford to miss or trigger panic, especially with such a large crowd outside. If the leopard had escaped, it could’ve been disastrous," Ganesh explained. Officials carefully shut the room’s door from outside and took aim through a narrow opening.
Using a reversible sedative — Ketamine — the team managed to deliver a successful tranquilizer shot. Fortunately, the leopard didn’t react violently and slowly fell unconscious without movement. By 12:30 pm, the team entered the room and safely secured the animal. It was identified as a six or seven-year-old female leopard. The leopard is expected to be released into a suitable habitat after necessary health checks.