MYSURU: A leopard strayed into Mysuru Zoo from Chamundi Hills on Thursday morning, triggering panic among about 100 visitors present there. However, the zoo staff managed to move the visitors out within 30 minutes after which the rescue operation began at 9 am. Zoo keeper Rajashekar spotted the leopard which was sitting on a 35-40 feet tall tree near the enclosure of the lion-tailed macaques.
“Monkeys and lion-tailed macaques were screaming and looking towards the tree on which the leopard was sitting. I noticed their unusual behaviour and later saw the leopard,” said Rajashekar. With the efforts of about 30 zoo keepers and veterinary doctors, the leopard was tranquilized and trapped. After the two-and-a-half hour rescue operation, visitors were allowed to enter the zoo.
“The leopard may have entered from the rear area of the zoo. Incidents of leopard straying into urban areas are rising due to the increase in population of stray dogs and monkeys, which are fed by tourists in and around Chamundi Hills,” said B P Ravi, member secretary of Karnataka Zoo Authority. Over the last four decades, this is the third time a leopard has strayed into the zoo.
“We haven’t yet decided whether to free the rescued leopard in the jungles or keep it in the zoo itself. Authorities concerned are scanning CCTV footage to ascertain the area from where this leopard entered the zoo,” said Ravi Shankar C, executive director of Mysuru Zoo. “Currently there are 73 CCTVs in the zoo, and more CCTVs will be installed in the coming days,” he added.
Mysuru Zoo is spread across 90 acres of land and its compound wall is 10 feet tall at most of the places. Only the height of the compound wall situated at the back of the zoo is less and close to just road level.
Following the incident, footfall in the zoo saw a decline of 20 per cent on Thursday. On normal weekdays, 5,000 to 7,000 people visit the zoo.