It should be noted that an approximate three-year-old male leopard had got trapped in a deadly jaw trap set by a poacher
In a yet another important rescue that helped in saving the life of a leopard, a three-year-old male leopard cub was rescued by an NGO and the Maharashtra Forest Department. The feline's left forelimb was caught in the lethal hunting device, however, the injured leopard is currently under medical care at a transit facility.
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On Thursday, the Wildlife SOS team based out of the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre, Junnar, received a call from the Maharashtra Forest Department about a helpless leopard. Immediately, a four-member team from the NGO rushed to the location with safety nets, restraining equipment and a trap cage in hand.
The leopard's left forelimb was caught in the steel-jaw trap and in its attempt to break free of the painful leg-hold, started running amok in the neighboring agricultural field. In the meantime, hundreds of curious onlookers had gathered around the field and the forest officers had to execute public safety measures by cordoning off the area. As soon as the Wildlife SOS team arrived at the location, they set the rescue operation in motion. Wildlife SOS senior veterinarian Dr. Ajay Deshmukh immobilised the big cat, using a sedative injection from a safe distance. Once the team had administered the drug, they carefully removed the lethal jaw trap from the entrapped forelimb.
Dr. Ajay Deshmukh, Senior Veterinarian at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre said, "We had to first tranquilize the leopard to carefully remove the jaw trap. Any further delay would have caused severe damage to the forelimb. We disinfected the wound and have administered topical treatment along with analgesics and anti-inflammatory medication. Fortunately, the injury is superficial, and no internal injuries have been detected."
As the rescue was a challenging one, the mission lasted several hours after which the leopard was carefully transported to a Forest Department base for observation prior to release.
Not all animals have the opportunity to escape from these indiscriminate killing devices that have the power to kill anything from a rabbit or porcupine to a bear, leopard and even tigers. Every year hundreds of wild animals succumb to jaw traps, snares, and explosive baits in India and the deaths of a majority of these victims of go undocumented.
B.V. Shinde, Range Forest Officer, Ahmednagar, said, "The Forest Department and Wildlife SOS have in the past collectively rescued wild animals from conflicts situations, arising in the state. We are grateful for their cooperation and applaud the efficient work done by the team at Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre. There is an urgent need to educate the public about the illegality of such offences in order to curb poaching. The Forest Department will be investigating this matter closely."
Also Read: Watch video: Lost leopard cub reunited with mother at Pune
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