A five-year-old male leopard involved in a serious accident on the Pune-Nashik Highway has been rescued and is receiving treatment at a specialized medical facility, officials reported on Tuesday.
The incident occurred late on Monday when a speeding vehicle struck the leopard, leaving it severely injured in the Kalamb area of the Manchar Forest Range. Wildlife SOS responded to a distress call from the Maharashtra Forest Department and transported the injured and bleeding feline to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in Junnar.
Upon reaching the Kalamb area, the Wildlife SOS team faced challenges with a large crowd gathering to watch the leopard, blocking the road. Despite the injured feline being agitated, the SOS team tranquilized it with a dart gun. They carefully lifted the leopard into a trap cage and swiftly transported it to the Junnar facility.
Veterinarians at the center conducted a thorough medical examination, revealing serious trauma, including head injuries, a broken mandible (lower jaw), cracked canines and incisors, and external bruises. According to Dr. Chandan Sawane of Wildlife SOS, the leopard is currently in a state of lateral recumbency, receiving oral medication, antibiotics, and supportive therapies, and is eating well.
Wildlife SOS co-founder and CEO Kartick Satyanarayan emphasized that the incident underscores the harsh realities of road accidents involving wild creatures, a consequence of the expanding urban landscape and shrinking habitats due to highways cutting through their natural environments.
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