2-yr-old female leopard rescued from well

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad, Nov 25:

A young female leopard, while chasing the prey during night hours, suddenly fell into a well in Amdabad Shivar in Kannad tehsil on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the rescuing team of the Department of Forest (DoF) with the help of police

succeeded in evacuating the leopard, out of the well, after a struggle of three hours, on Thursday afternoon.

It so happened that a villager and farmer Santosh Ramkrishna Bankar (of Amdabad) along with a team of labourers reached the farm to pluck cotton from standing crops on Thursday morning. Later on, he went to fetch water for the labourers at the well and was shocked to see a leopard in it. Acting upon the information, the police and the DoF team reached the spot. The area falls under the jurisdiction of the Sillod range forest. The forest officials assessed the situation and then alerted the rescuing team from Aurangabad, who then evacuate the two-year-old leopard with any harm from the well. The age is confirmed by the DoF.

Three hours hardship

Earlier, the rescuing team comprising M A Shaikh, S M Mali, Vishwas Salve, Amol Waghmare, Prakash Suryawanshi and H K Ghusinge released a cot with its four corners tied with rope, inside the well, but the leopard did not respond and avoided to come on the cot. The process is locally called 'Baaj'. Later on, the rescuing team released a cage and prompted the wildlife animal to come inside the cage. After a struggle of three hours, the team succeeded in taking leopard out of the well. Later on, the wildlife animal was handed over to the range forest officer (Sillod) S K Bhise. After examination of leopard's health, it was released in its natural habitat, said DoF sources.

Acting upon the information, the deputy conservator (forest) S V Mankawar deployed assistant conservator of forest (ACF, Kannad) Sachin Shinde on the task. The assistant conservator of forest (ACF, Jalna) Pushpa Pawar, RFO (Ajanta) N J Sonawane, RFO (Soyegaon) Rahul Sapkal, veterinarian Dr B V Chole and PSI Harish Kumar Borade also made their contributions.

Meanwhile, one farmer (from Amdabad) expressed his fear saying that the mobilisation of wildlife could be good news for the animal-lovers and DoF, but it has increased the burden or worries of farmers and cattle-owners staying at the

foothills. They had to keep a vigil due to the movement of Carnivorous and Herbivorous animals, he said.