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Leopard rescue in Junnar saves cat drowning in open well
PUNE The effect of the Covid-19 lockdown has resulted in wild animals venturing out into the quiet, open streets across Maharashtra.
PUNE The effect of the Covid-19 lockdown has resulted in wild animals venturing out into the quiet, open streets across Maharashtra.
In one such case in Otur village in Junnar, an adult, male leopard fell into a 45-foot-deep well and it took the timely intervention of the Wildlife SOS team and the Maharashtra forest department to rescue the wild cat.
The leopard’s panic-stricken roars woke up villagers in Khodad, Otur, as the animal was struggling to stay afloat.
“The villagers are accustomed to seeing leopards on occasion, living as they do in close proximity to the scrub jungles that serve as the leopard’s natural habitat. In situations like this, their first instinct is to call the forest department and the Wildlife SOS team at the Manikdoh leopard rescue centre in Junnar,” said Yogesh Ghodke, regional forest officer, Otur.
He added, “I am glad that timely intervention helped save the leopard’s life. This is a common occurrence as leopards often fall into open wells while foraging. We have advised the villagers to take precautionary measures by covering the wells.”
The villagers systematically cordoned off the area and lowered a makeshift platform for the leopard to climb onto for temporary support.
On arrival, the rescue team quickly rolled out the extraction plan and lowered a trap cage into the well. After a few attempts, the leopard successfully climbed into the trap cage and was rescued.
Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS, said, “These are very difficult times for the world, but that will not stop us from providing aid to both wildlife and communities in need. We are grateful to the villagers and forest officers for making this rescue a success. The collective efforts of the teams have in the past led to many such operations to mitigate man-leopard conflict in the region and helping wild animals in distress.”
Nikhil Bangar, wildlife veterinary officer, Wildlife SOS, said, “Such operations require patience and careful planning to ensure that we don’t cause any further stress to the animal. The leopard is unhurt and is a healthy male, approximately seven-years-old. The leopard is no under temporary observation.”
Maharashtra is a stronghold for the leopard population in India, but over the years, these elusive wild cats that once roamed freely across the vast terrains of the Western Ghats have had to adapt to the ever-changing landscape; a direct result of human induced factors like habitat destruction, rapid urbanisation and encroachment of forested areas.
The Indian leopard, which is listed as ‘vulnerable’ under the IUCN Red List, has an estimated figure of 12,000-14,000 in the country.
