Leopard strays into Gir Somnath village, rescued

After being given primary treatment, the eight-year-old leopard was sent to an animal care centre in Sasan for treatment.
By: Express News Service | Rajkot | Published:July 6, 2016 8:44 pm

The incident comes four days after a leopard was allegedly stoned to death in Rojmal village in Gadhda taluka of Botad district. (Express photo: Arvind Suchak)

Four days after a leopard was beaten to death by villagers in Botad district, another leopard strayed into Harmadiya village of Gir Somnath district on Wednesday but it was rescued by forest officers in a predawn operation.
The male leopard entered house of one Mashri Khasiya at around 1 am but Khasiya woke up due to scramble of his cattle, forest officers said. He alerted his neighbours and forest officers while the leopard retreated to a blind alley.
Harmadiya village is located in Kodinar taluka of Gir Somnath district.

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Forest guards from nearby Pichhavi village rushed to the spot and tried to scare away the carnivore. But it jumped on the terrace of Mashri’s home. When forest guards further pushed it, the leopard jumped down and landed in a bush behind house of one Punjabhai Khasiya and preyed on a wild boar.
The incident comes four days after a leopard was allegedly stoned to death in Rojmal village in Gadhda taluka of Botad district.
“A rescue team from Jamvala reached Harmadiya at around 3 AM with a trap cage. But efforts to lure it inside the cage remained unsuccessful and therefore, we decided to tranquilise it. Since rescue team of nearby Sasan was not available, we sought help of Dhari rescue team. They finally came and rescued the leopard at 10 am,” said Oghad Dodiya, range forest officer (RFO) of Jamwala in Gir West division.
After being given primary treatment, the eight-year-old leopard was sent to an animal care centre in Sasan for treatment.
“Since it had killed wild boar and was surrounded by villagers, the leopard could not escape. Nobody has been injured in the incident nor any cattle has been killed,” Dodiya further said.
Harmadiya is located some 1.5 kilometres away from Harmadiya reserve forest which is home to Asiatic lions and other carnivores like leopards.

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