Leopard strays into Mysore Zoo, captured

Panic gripped the Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens Mysuru on Thursday when they sighted a wild leopard resting on a tree branch inside its premises.

Early in the morning there was a commotion with news spreading of a leopard spotted inside the zoo. Immediately, all visitors were vacated and the gates were shut down for visitors as a safety measure. The zoo officials and workers swiftly took necessary steps to trap the wild cat.

The zoo keepers got the suspicion of an intruder only after monkeys created unusual sounds. Later, a staff of the Mysuru Zoo spotted the leopard climbing a tree in the zoo premises. Initially it was suspected the leopard belonged to the zoo and must have escaped from an enclosure, it was later confirmed that it had strayed in from outside, may be from nearby Chamundi hills. Leopard, aged around two years said to have intruded into the zoo premises from the Karanji Lake side.

In an operation that lasted for more than two hours, the officials tranquilised the leopard and trapped it in a cage. Officials of the zoo who were present during the operation assured that such incidents won't take place in future.

Zoo Authority of Karnataka Member Secretary B.P. Ravi and Zoo Executive Director C. Ravishankar supervised the operation to capture the leopard. The young cat had been kept in a cage and is likely to be released into the wild, sources in the zoo said.

OneIndia News