Leopard trapped in wire snare freed after two-hour rescue operation in Dahanu

Forest officials and volunteers rescued the big cat in two hours

An adult leopard got entangled in a wire snare at Dahanu on Wednesday but lived to tell the tale, thanks to forest officials and volunteers who saved the big cat after a two-hour rescue operation. Dhaval Kansara, the honorary wildlife warden, said, "Around 10:30 am, a distress call was reported to me, stating that a leopard had entered a residential area. A rescue team was immediately assigned to reach the spot, evaluate and assess the situation, and initiate necessary actions. At 10:45 am, our rescue team reached the spot and found a huge leopard entangled in the wire. We began the rescue operation by first directing the police to control the mob that had gathered there."

The rescuers managed to coax the leopard into the cage and cut the wire

The leopard was helpless as it tried to escape the wire. Every time it tried to get out, it tugged at the sharp wire, increasing the risk of injury. In order to minimise the risk, the rescuers decided to use a cage to capture the animal. Two groups were formed - one coordinated with the police for crowd management, while the other did a quick survey of the area to rescue the distressed animal as quickly as possible. After half an hour, the cage was set up near the leopard, and the teams used available resources like ropes and nets to coax the leopard into the trap cage.

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"The animal soon entered the cage and it was quickly shut. The wire was cut safely and the animal was captured without have to use tranquillisers. The leopard is a fully grown adult male, which was immediately taken to the treatment and transit centre at the Wildlife Conservation And Animal Welfare Association (WCAWA)," added Kansara.

Dr Dinesh Vinherkar, a veterinarian attached to WCAWA, said, "We are happy that the leopard has been safely rescued by the Dahanu forest department with the help of Kansara and other volunteers. The animal has been kept under observation. The leopard rescue team and veterinarian expert from Sanjay Gandhi National Park are helping us."

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