Leopard cooped up in poultry farm rescued by wildlife SOS and forest department in Maharashtra

The leopard was rescued by a team of Wildlife SOS and Maharashtra Forest Department

In a collaborative effort, Wildlife SOS and the Maharashtra Forest Department successfully rescued an approximately 4-year-old female leopard from a poultry farm in Dholwad village of Junnar in Maharashtra, the officials said.

They said that the poultry farm workers in Dholwad village made a startling discovery on Thursday early morning - a leopard had been trapped inside a small duck enclosure. The feline had already devoured two ducks before it was spotted by the villagers.

Recognising the delicate nature of the situation, they swiftly informed the Maharashtra Forest Department, who in turn immediately contacted Wildlife SOS for assistance.

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Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS said, "As essential leopard habitats become increasingly fragmented, these big cats resort to domestic cattle and poultry for nourishment. It is important to gauge anthropogenic activities that escalate human-leopard encounters, drawing wild animals into closer proximity with human settlements."

Due to the confined space, the Wildlife SOS & Junnar Forest Division rescue team carefully assessed the situation and proceeded to sedate the leopard to facilitate the rescue process. After a 2-hour-long rescue operation, the rescue team successfully extricated the feline without any harm to the animal. A subsequent medical examination revealed the feline to be a 4-year-old female, with only minor injuries.

Dr. Avinash Visalkar, Veterinary Officer, Wildlife SOS said, "The leopard sustained only minor injuries and recovered smoothly from the anesthesia with no abnormalities. She is healthy and active in the rehabilitation facility and awaits a release back into the wild."

"The seamless collaboration between Wildlife SOS and the forest department has resulted in yet another successful rescue operation. However, credit should also be given to the prudent villagers who immediately contacted the authorities. This is a display of the awareness work being done to spread leopard conservation efforts," said Amit Bhise, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Junnar Division said.