Though the seven-year-old male leopard was eventually tranquillised and shifted to Hyderabad, it died
on the way to the treatment facility at the Nehru Zoological Park (NZP).
Locals said the leopard was found trapped in a barbed wire fence around 6.30 a.m. The police and forest
officials arrived within an hour. “The leopard had preyed on a sheep and its hind legs were trapped in
the fence when it tried to wriggle out,” owner of the farm land, K. Suresh Naik said.
Tense moments unfolded after the rescue team got down to work around 11 a.m. A huge crowd had gathered
to witness the rescue. The team first fired three shots from the tranquilliser gun, but the frightened
leopard extricated itself from the trap and ran amok. When the officials chased it with sticks, the big
cat pounced on an official and mauled another person.
The injured duo, forest beat officer Osman and NZP official Shiva, are stable and out of danger.
The leopard then scurried under the forest vehicle, when it was finally shot at twice. It was soon
dragged into an enclosure and shifted to Hyderabad, but died on its way to the NZP.
Veterinarians who conducted the post-mortem said the animal died due to “internal haemorrhage, shock
and asphyxia”.
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