Dera Bassi, Punjab: A 10-monthold female leopard strayed into Brahampur village from the forest in Nangal area on Sunday morning, causing a scare among villagers.
The animal was captured around noon and taken to Chhatbir Zoo.
Punjab Wildlife Department officials claimed that it was the first time in the state that an animal classified under Schedule One of the Wildlife Protection Act had been captured without causing any harm to it.
Earlier, some women spotted the feline and raised the alarm in the village. Villagers tried in vain to scare it away by hurling stones and beating it with sticks.
Members of the Nangal-based NGO Jagriti Sanstha informed Jatinder Sharma, Chief Wildlife Warden, Punjab, who sent a team led by Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) S.P. Singh, along with wildlife warden Balwinder Singh and guard Amarjit Singh.
The team, carrying a net and a tranquiliser gun, reached the spot within an hour. The police also reached the village.
The wildlife officials tried to catch the leopard, who was hiding in the bushes, with a net, but failed. Thereafter, Darauli village resident Pargan Singh went near the animal and fired a shot from the tranquiliser gun. The leopard fell unconscious. Wildlife officials caught hold of it and took it to Chhatbir Zoo in Dera Bassi.
The officials said the animal had strayed into a populated area in search of food. Rupnagar DFO S.P. Singh and forest conservator H.S. Grewal brought the animal to the zoo.
Chief Wildlife Warden Jatinder Sharma stated the leopard was being revived with an antidote. The animal was yet to regain consciousness even several hours after being caught.
