‘Man-eater’ leopard trapped alive in Lakhimpur Kheri, to be sent to zoo

The leopard had been captured by the cameras installed in the area several times before but it somehow managed to give a slip to patrolling teams on every occasion.

Lakhimpur Kheri: Following a month-and-a-half-long chase, a leopard, believed to have killed three people since October 4, was captured alive by the forest officials of the south Kheri division. On Tuesday, the male big cat walked into the cage set up by the forest department in the lure of the bait.

Big cat is believed to have killed 3 people in less than a month (HT Photo)

The leopard had been captured by the cameras installed in the area several times before but it somehow managed to give a slip to patrolling teams on every occasion. “However, on Tuesday morning, the leopard walked into the cage set up near the Jamnabad Farm in the Gola forest range. This is the place where it had made its last human kill on October 20,” said Sanjay Bishwal, divisional forest officer (DFO), south Kheri forest division.

The official added, “Frequent movements of the leopard in the area and its capture from the spot of its last kill suggests that the captured big cat is the same that killed three people on October 4, 18, and 20.”

Sharing further information, divisional forest officer Sanjay Bishwal added, “The leopard is 7-8 years old. It is being examined by veterinary experts. No apparent physical deformities or injuries, barring a minor injury mark on its head, were found on its body during the examination. Therefore, it is difficult to tell why the leopard turned to killing humans. Usually, big cats prey on humans only when they become too weak to hunt.”

The officer added, “The captured leopard would be sent to a zoo soon.” To recall, forest officials had started a combing operation in the area after the leopard killed 25-year Yadunath, a watchman, on October 4. Later, on October 18, it killed 12-year-old Rama Kant near Rasoolabad jungles, and then on October 20, 50-year-old watchman Hira Lal became its next victim. In view of the situation, senior forest department officials issued orders to trace and tranquilise the big cat.