Leopard That Spread Panic In Bengaluru Shot Dead During Capture, Had A Broken Canine Tooth

The leopard that spread panic in Karnataka's capital, Bengaluru, for five days was shot dead by the Forest Department on Wednesday.

The forest department had tracked down the elusive leopard on the outskirts at Kudlu Gate near Electronic City in Bengaluru South on Wednesday.

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How the capture went wrong

The leopard was hiding in an abandoned building, and Forest officials had initially set up a cage trap.

But they opened fire at the leopard in self-defence after the big cat attacked them while they were attempting to capture it.

The veterinarian, who was trying to tranquillise the leopard using darts, was seriously injured in the neck and is being treated at a hospital.

"The leopard had attacked veterinary doctor Kiran and one more staff member. So, they were grievously injured. So, it jumped to attack one more staff. So, he shot it in self-defence. We tried to revive it in Bannerghatta, but it died," Bengaluru urban chief conservator of forests SS Lingaraju said.

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Lingaraja said the Chief Wildlife Warden had permitted to shoot the leopard when the animal started attacking people grievously.

Where did the leopard come from?

The leopard is believed to have strayed from the wild somewhere near the Bannerghatta Biological Park and was seen near Electronic City in Bengaluru South. It was first spotted on October 28, when it was seen being chased by stray dogs.

On October 29, it was again caught on CCTV cameras, roaming inside an apartment premises in Kudlu Gate.

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Why do animals stray outside forest?

While it is unclear what drove the male leopard close to a human area, it is reported that the animal had a broken canine tooth, which made it difficult to hunt.

Wild animals, including leopards and tigers, usually stray out of the forests in search of easy prey, like stray dogs and cattle, when they are unable to hunt in the forest due to injuries or old age.

What environmentalists say

Environmentalist Vijay Nishanth pointed out that the recent reduction of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of Bannerghatta National Park could have pushed the leopard close to humans.

Wildlife activist Joshep Hoover said he has sent an email to Karnataka Environment and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre urging the need to set up specialised rescue teams in all the conflict areas of every district across the state where forest landscapes and man-animal conflict are escalating so that we are better prepared in such situations in the near future.

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"After seeing the video of how the leopard was being captured, it is so apparent that the animal was chased. When it comes near the net, this person (forest official) just shoots it. When it was there, a tranquiliser could have been used instead," he told PTI.

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