Leopard safely rescued from Hodal village near Gurugram after a five-day operation

Rajesh Chahal, a wildlife inspector in Gurugram, who was part of the rescue team, said the leopard was first spotted on September 8 by Bhulwana villagers in Hodal, some 89 kilometres from Gurugram

In a challenging operation that lasted five days, the wildlife department officials rescued a five-year-old male leopard on Wednesday night from Hodal area in Palwal. Officials said a team was deployed on September 10 to capture the big cat, after receiving distress calls from villagers who spotted the leopard.

It took five hours to lure the big cat into the cage. It appeared as if the leopard sensed the trap but after five hours of waiting, it entered cage on smelling the goat tethered inside, officials said. (HT Photo)

The leopard was released into the Aravalli forest on Thursday after a medical check-up by a team of veterinary doctors from the wildlife department ascertained that the animal was fit and well.

Rajesh Chahal, a wildlife inspector in Gurugram, who was part of the rescue team, said the leopard was first spotted on September 8 by Bhulwana villagers in Hodal, some 89 kilometres from Gurugram. “The villagers had spotted it near a temple in a 40 acre forest area in Hodal. They shared videos of the leopard on social media and reported that cattle left out for grazing in the forests were missing.This was the first time a big cat was spotted in the area,” he said.

Chahal said the villagers informed the subdivisional magistrate about the sighting on September 9 following which the villagers were restricted from visiting the temple alone and during the late evening hours. “A team of six officials, including a doctor, was sent to the forest area on September 10. We had kept tranquillizers ready in case of an emergency. Two trapping cages were laid for the leopard, and the animal was trapped around 11.30pm Wednesday,” he said.

“It took five hours to lure the big cat into the cage -- it kept moving around the cage but did not enter it. It appeared as if the leopard sensed the trap but we all kept a close watch on its movements and after five hours of waiting, it entered cage on smelling the goat tethered inside,” said Chahal.

The wildlife officials said the forest area is not a part of the Aravallis and they suspect that the leopard may have reached the area from the Delhi side. “The Ujina drain that comes from Nuh meets the Yamuna in Hodal and the forest patch with the temple is close to the drain,” said Chahal.

Rajendra Prasad Dangi, divisional wildlife officer, said, “There was panic in the area and people had stopped stepping out at night fearing the animal. They were asked to move around in groups for their safety and a route was designated to ensure that all villagers used the same stretch to visit the temple. There were monkeys in the area, which means the leopard had access to food and water.”

“There are nearly 4,500 families in the village and their safety and security were our prime concern. Since the villagers were afraid to move about even during the day, and since they cannot afford to sit at home leaving their fieldwork, we planned to place cages,” Dangi said.

The Aravalli forest is around 20km from the drain from where the leopard was captured, said officials.

Dangi said after capture, the leopard was kept under observation for a few hours and a medical examination was conducted to check if there were any injuries to his body. Once satisfied that he was in the prime of his health, the vets gave the go ahead to release him back into the wild, but away from human habitation.