MYSURU: Forest officials have successfully captured a leopard that fatally attacked a devotee during a pilgrimage to the Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills, ending the multi-day operation.
The leopard was trapped late on Thursday night in the slopes of the MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary following a search operation led by the Karnataka Forest Department involving drone surveillance baited trap cages.
The capture follows the tragic death of Praveen, a resident of Cheeranahalli village in Mandya district, who was attacked while undertaking a padayatra to the revered Male Mahadeshwara temple.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday. The leopard reportedly pounced on him in a thickly forested stretch nearly 5 km away from the temple. Fellow pilgrims raised an alarm after Praveen went missing, and his body was later recovered with fatal injuries.
Chamarajanagar district administration imposed strict restrictions on foot pilgrimages along forest routes to facilitate the capture operation.
A complete ban on padayatras has now been enforced between 6 pm and 6 am, with authorities directing the forest department to ensure strict compliance. Pilgrims have been advised to use authorised transport facilities and restrict movement to daytime hours only.
Forest officials said the operation was challenging due to the leopard’s movement patterns and the difficult terrain of the sanctuary.
After being safely sedated, the animal was secured in a trap cage.