MANDLA: A leopard that strayed into a house in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla district was safely rescued by the Forest Department after a five-hour operation on Friday. The animal was later shifted to a quarantine centre for observation.
The incident took place at around 7:30 am in a village near the buffer zone of the Kanha Tiger Reserve.
According to officials, an elderly woman was working in the courtyard when she heard an animal enter her house. Thinking it was a stray dog, she looked inside and found a leopard hiding beneath a bed. She quietly stepped outside, shut the door from the outside and alerted neighbours, who informed the Forest Department.
A rescue team, supported by wildlife veterinarians and local police, reached the spot shortly afterwards. The area was secured and onlookers were kept at a safe distance while the operation was carried out.
Officials first confirmed the leopard’s location inside the house before safely tranquillising it. The animal was then removed from the house, given a preliminary health check and transported in a specialised vehicle to a quarantine centre for monitoring.
The rescue operation lasted around five hours and was completed without any injuries to people or the animal. Forest officials said the leopard will remain under observation before any further decision is taken regarding its release into the wild.
