Diphu August 12: A triumphant story of capture and discharge of a full grown male common leopard of around ten years of age came to light recently through Wild Life Trust of India.
The whole operation of capturing the leopard and releasing it in the wilderness was completed by the Kaziranga-based Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation functioning in the wild by the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Wildlife Trust of India on July 22, 2015.
The wildlife rescue centre CWRC’s Mobile Veterinary Service team along with the Assam Forest Department experts from Golaghat Wildlife division set a trap to catch the leopard. The leopard had been taking cattle for the past week at tea gardens in border areas of Karbi Anglong and Golaghat in the last few months.
Villagers from Jamuguri located in the fringe areas of Nambor Wild Life Sanctuary, spread across the border areas of Karbi Anglong and Golaghat district of Assam told the forest authority about the incident. The forest authority then took steps to capture the animal.
The CWRC MVS team reports they performed all medication on the animal and took steps to monitor the leopard’s health parameters. Dr Panjit Basumatary, the IFAW veterinarians attending the mobile unite said, “The Forest Department asked for our intervention to know the health condition of the trapped common leopard in the tea garden near Nambor WLS. We observed the carnivore for six hours before releasing it. The leopard had a minor injury which will be healed naturally, with time.”
The leopard was taken in a cage carrier vehicle and released in a nearby suitable habitat. It recovered well from sedation and disappeared in the wilderness of Garampani forest area as soon as the trap door was lifted.
Davinder Suman, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Golaghat forest division was there during the rescue and release operation of the leopard. The forest authorities have assured that they will keep a track on the movement of the leopard with indirect evidence for identification in the fringes.
