Indore: An adult leopard was rescued by forest officials saving the majestic wildcat from losing its life in infighting. A team led by forest ranger Suresh Barole reached Nayapura, Indore after hearing about an injured leopard in the area.
The leopard was found injured and bleeding from its mouth. Sharing details about the operation, Barole said, “A wildlife volunteer Rohitansh Pandey and villagers informed us about the leopard at around 1:00 am.”
As per information, two leopards were seen fighting each other in Nayapura village.
“One of them was injured badly and hence, we had to rescue him to save his life,” Barole said.
Forest officials of Conservator of Forest flying squad and Indore range rescued the injured leopard at around 2:40 am and brought it to Indore Zoo for treatment.
Suresh Barole Range Officer headed the Indore team with deputy range officer Rajesh Nagwade and led the operation with Shiva Panchal, Mahesh Malviya, Amit Nigam and Nilesh Panekar.
The flying squad included Rajesh Nangwade, Satya Shiva Panchal, Mahesh Malviya, Nilesh Kumar Pane Kar and Amit Nigam.
The rescue operation was one of the longest operations as it was difficult to calmly approach the injured leopard, said Barole. He added that an injured leopard has a higher chance of attacking a human.
“He was scared and injured, so luring him in the cage for rescue was a tough task and we attempted different techniques,” Barole said.
The leopard was an adult male, so any attack from the leopard could have been done serious injuries. “We were more worried about the leopard’s safety,” Barole said.
Keeping the villagers away and calm was another difficult task for forest officers during the late night operation. “It’s majestic and adult, so we are just praying and hoping for its quick recovery,” Barole said.
As shared by Dr Uttam Yadav, city zoo in-charge, leopard is an adult male of about 7 to 8 years. “Leopards generally live for 14 to 15 years, so the leopard is in the prime of his life,” he said.
However, with critical injuries, it seems difficult for the leopard to recover to normal very soon. “Since, the leopard was rescued in time, there is a chance for its survival and recovery now,” Yadav said.
The leopard is severely injured and has lost a lot of blood. “His right eye has lost complete sight and his left eye lid is still stuck, so we are just trying to help him recover and gain strength,” Yadav said.
He added that there is still a possibility that the leopard will completely recover and be fit to live in the jungle again. “There are many wild cats that survive injuries and even live in wildlife with issues like lack of eye sight, so we are trying for the best,” Yadav said.
