The locals alerted the forest department, who, along with the assistance of Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre, took the leopard for treatment.
Female leopard injured after an accident
A seven-year-old female leopard was grievously injured after being hit by a speeding vehicle on the Ahmednagar-Kalyan highway near Pimpri, on Monday.
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The locals alerted the forest department, who, along with the assistance of Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre, took the leopard for treatment.
According to the Wildlife SOS, they received a call from the forest department, informing them about a leopard lying in unresponsive condition on the side of a busy highway. "It was bleeding profusely and had deep wounds. Authorities feared that she was already dead. A team of five people from the NGO accompanied the forest department for the rescue operation," an official from Wildlife SOS said.
He said the forest officers ensured that the crowd was under control, while Dr Ajay Deshmukh, senior veterinarian, Wildlife SOS, sedated the leopard using tranquillising equipment after which it was taken to Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre for diagnosis and treatment."
The veterinarians found internal hemorrhaging, deep lacerations on the face, and wounds on the left front paw. The leopard is currently under observation and will continue to be treated at the centre till she recovers completely.
Dr Ajay Deshmukh, senior Veterinarian, Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre, said, "We had to exercise extreme caution in retrieving the leopard as the extent of her injuries was quite severe. The leopard is put on intravenous fluids along with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication."
Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said this is the third leopard that has been injured in a road accident this year. "The first two leopards were paralysed owing to accidents. Our team is closely monitoring this leopard's condition."
Jayaramegowda R., Deputy Conservator of Forests Junnar, said that it is a miracle that the leopard is even alive.
Ghodke, Range Forest Officer, Otur, said, "Our investigation showed than an unidentified vehicle was speeding on the highway and it hit the leopard. There was a large mob that gathered by the time we embarked on the rescue mission, so controlling the crowd was our primary priority. We cordoned off the area to enable the Wildlife SOS team to tranquillise the animal before moving her to the rescue centre."
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