The Karnataka forest department in Belagavi has set up camera traps and cages to capture a leopard that was sighted near a golf course Sunday. Two construction workers at Jadhav Nagar claimed to have been attacked by the leopard on August 5.
While the combing operations by the forest and police officials are underway, the district administration asked people residing in and around the golf course, Sainik colony, Jadhav Nagar, Hanuman Nagar and Sadashiv Nagar not to venture out.
Anthony M, in-charge deputy conservator of forest (DCF), Belagavi, told The Indian Express; “After the incident (leopard attacking construction workers) came to light, we placed camera traps at those locations where there might be a possible movement of the leopard and the possibility of it housing in. So based on the camera trap images, it was traced down to the golf course which is close to a 200-acre campus well protected by compound walls. It can be more or less called a forest. In addition to the 13 camera traps which were already placed, six additional ones were placed yesterday. The cages have been kept equidistant from each other. Wild animals stray when they are hungry so we are waiting for it to run out of food stock.”
“We have asked the people not to roam in and around the area. Schools within a 1-km radius of the golf course have been called off. Continuous announcements are being made by the police and a watch is being kept over the leopard’s movement,” he added.
The department also trashed reports of the images and videos of leopards from other places being passed off as the one from Belagavi on social media. “A video of the leopard straying into the house was of an incident from Kathmandu but this was shared on social media as the one from Belagavi. People should not pay heed to such news and this would create more panic,” a forest official said.
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