HYDERABAD: The Telangana Forest Department trapped a leopard near the Water and Land Management Training and Research Institute (WALAMTARI) campus in Rajendranagar on Sunday.
Officials stated that the animal was most probably the same one that was sighted earlier in May this year resting in the middle of a road near Kattedan.
According to Shamshabad Forest Divisional Officer (FDO) Ch Shivaiah, several reports of cattle being killed in and around Rajendranagar surfaced over the last one month, including a report two days ago. Following the complaints, traps were set up for at different points near the WALAMTARI campus on Friday night and forest staff regularly patrolled the area.
In the wee hours of Sunday, the staff noticed a leopard trapped in one of the cages during their patrol. The wild cat was later translocated to the Nehru Zoological Park in the city. The leopard, a male, is aged around six years.
It was also found to have some minor abrasions and injuries on its face, informed the zoo in a press release. Once it recovers and clears the health screening, it will be released back into the wild after prior permission from the Telangana Chief Wildlife Warden. This might take 2-3 days.
Shivaiah said that the landscape in Rajendranagar provided a great habitat for the leopard as the region had hillocks, good availability of prey in the form of wild boars, peacocks and small mammals, along with good water resources. The area is close to the Mrugavani National Park, has lost of open lands due to the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) and other agricultural institutions, and is also located close to the twin reservoirs of Himayatsagar and Osmansagar.
Rajendranagar apt habitat for leopards
According to Shamshabad FDO Ch Shivaiah, the landscape in Rajendranagar provides a great habitat for leopards as the region has hillocks, good availability of prey in the form of wild boars, peacocks and small mammals, along with adequate water resources