Sanawad: After a 36-hour long rescue operation, the team of the forest department returned empty-handed failing to trap a leopard from Avanti Yarn Mill in Sanawad town of Khargone district on Friday.
Forest department at around 6 pm on Friday declared the mill safe to work after carrying out a search operation to ensure there is no presence of the big cat in the premises.
Whereupon the staff of the mill breathed a sigh of relief after the leopard disappeared from the yarn factory. At the same time, due to the absence of the leopard, staff is still in doubt.
The rescue team and officials of the Forest Department were seen only tracing the pug mark leading to it and its path, but they failed to trace inside as the surface inside the mill premises was hard.
Forest department incharge Rajaram Kalyane said that the search operation for the leopard was was carried after they got information that a leopard was seen here at the mill premises. But after 12 mid-night on Thursday night, no leopard movement was seen. It did not appear anywhere including the Rink Account section or above the ceiling, where it was last seen. By which many claimed that leopard might have disappear in the dark.
Rescue continued for 35 hours
The forest department made every possible attempt to trap the big cat but all in vain. On Thursday at around 4 am, few laborers saw leopard at the mill premises. Two laborers received injuries in the attack. Following this, they informed the forest team. The team began the rescue operation at around 6 am. At around 1 pm on Thursday, the team placed some cages. The room was then closed and forest troops were posted all around.
The rescue team at around 10 pm saw a leopard in CCTV footage. Till 12.15 am, the team saw leopard movement in the mill. But after that, no movement was seen. Possibilities are being made that the animal disappeared in the dark of night by dodging the forest department.
