Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Jan 21: Villagers mobbed a vehicle carrying forest department officials on the night of Saturday January 19, accusing them of negligence as a result of which they said that a leopard that had been trapped at Gunduri in the taluk had succeeded in running away.

A leopard had been caught in a trap laid out by an individual from Gunduri at about 4 am on Saturday. Forest department officials from Venur came thereafter, but by that evening, the leopard freed itself and scampered away. The forest officials were carrying the cage in which the leopard had been trapped earlier, in a pick-up van at night when the villagers questioned them about the cage being empty. When the officials gave evasive reply and continued to drive the vehicle, as a result of which the vehicle brushed some people, the people got angry. They blocked the vehicle, and demanded for registration of case against the negligent driver. Later police personnel from Venur station came there and pacified the crowd.

The range forest officer at Venur said that an attempt was made to get anesthetic drug from Shivamogga as Mangaluru office did not have stock of the same. As the team from Shivamogga would have reached here only at night, an effort was made to cage the animal by releasing it from the trap but it escaped during this operation.

The villagers expressed frustration at the failure the officials to cage the leopard although it was stuck in the trap for about 12 hours.