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Leopard roaming Mahsi–Kaiserganj areas captured; more big cats suspected
The animal was trapped early Tuesday morning in a cage installed at village Karipurwa, under Gram Sabha Kataha, Tejwapur block within the Kotwali Dehat police station limits
After nearly three weeks of tension and constant vigilance, the Bahraich forest department successfully captured a leopard that had been roaming through the densely populated areas of Mahsi and Kaiserganj tehsils. The animal was trapped early Tuesday morning in a cage installed at village Karipurwa, under Gram Sabha Kataha, Tejwapur block within the Kotwali Dehat police station limits.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) Ram Singh Yadav said that the leopard had wandered out of its natural habitat and had been moving close to human settlements since November 8, 2025, causing alarm among villagers. To ensure public safety and carry out a safe rescue, several trapping cages were set up across affected villages. Teams, led by the sub-divisional forest officer of Nanpara and the regional forest officer at Bahraich, stayed on continuous duty, monitoring pugmarks, tracking the animal’s movements, and gathering information from local residents.
According to the DFO, the captured leopard is about four years old and appears to be in good health. After a detailed medical check-up by the veterinary team at the divisional office, the animal will either be released back into its natural habitat or shifted to a zoological park, depending on directives from higher authorities.
Panic in the region grew after a leopard attacked 55-year-old Shanti Devi of Umri Dalho village near sugarcane fields on Wednesday evening. Villagers attempted to chase the animal away, but she sustained serious injuries and later died while undergoing treatment at the medical college. The incident pushed the forest department to step up its efforts to capture the leopard at the earliest.
Forest teams have urged locals to remain cautious in the coming days, as the presence of more than one big cat in the region cannot be ruled out.
Man trying to steal bait goat gets trapped in cage
In an unusual incident just four days earlier, a 45-year-old man Pradeep ended up trapped inside the same cage while allegedly trying to steal the goat kept as bait. Because he remained inside for several hours, no wild animal could be captured during that time. The Forest Department later released him with a stern warning.
