PNS|Tirupati
Forest officials have successfully captured another leopard near Alipiri and subsequently relocated it to the local zoo.
This particular leopard was apprehended after it inadvertently entered a strategically placed cage near the seventh milestone, close to the Prasannanjaneya Swamy temple within the forested area. Notably, this marks the fourth leopard capture in the span of the last four months, as confirmed by forest officials.
The sequence of events began with the capture of a single leopard initially, which was subsequently followed by two more leopards that were trapped in similar cages. The most recent capture involved a leopard that had been seen lingering near the cage for seven days before finally entering and getting ensnared last night.
Authorities have stated their commitment to continue the operation to capture any remaining leopards that pose a threat to pilgrims making their way to the revered Tirumala hill shrine. Chief Conservator of Forest, Nageswara Rao, informed the media that there has been no reported bear activity in the area for the past five days. He added that to monitor the movements of leopards, 500 trap cameras have been installed at various locations within the area.
Meanwhile, forest officials are yet to confirm whether the captured leopard was responsible for the recent attack on a young girl named Lakshita, who lost her life while trekking to Tirumala with her parents. Further investigations are going on to determine any connection between the captured leopard and the unfortunate incident.
