Leopard spotted at Vasai Fort caught after 22 days

Maharashtra forest department traps leopard near Vasai Fort after 3 weeks, believed to have ventured from Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in search of food.

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra forest department early Tuesday morning finally trapped a leopard that had been spotted near Vasai Fort over three weeks ago. The big cat was captured around 3 am after walking into one of the two trap cages the department had set up near the fort’s entrance.

Leopard spotted at Vasai Fort caught after 22 days

Officials said the captured feline matched the male leopard from the forest department’s database. After tracking down the leopard’s movements at Vasai Fort, they believe he had ventured from the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWLS) in search of food and water.

Locals from Vasai first spotted the leopard near the fort around 3 pm on April 1, triggering panic in the surrounding areas. Local NGOs then joined the forest department in looking for the big cat.

“We had installed night vision cameras to locate the leopard. Once it was caught on camera, we took permission from the forest authorities to put down cages and catch it,” said an official from the forest department.

The animal will be released in TWLS after being examined for physical injuries or any ailments.