UP: Leopard that killed woman in Bahraich trapped after six-day hunt

Despite continuous tracking, the wild animal kept shifting locations, prompting officials to relocate the cage several times, they said.On Monday night, the cage, baited with a goat, was placed in Karipurwa village, under Kataha gram sabha of Tejwapur block.The leopard, which had been moving in the area, entered the trap and was captured early Tuesday, Yadav said.The DFO said the captured animal, a roughly four-year-old male, has been brought safely to the divisional forest office in Bahraich.

A leopard that killed a 55-year-old woman in Umri Dhalo village in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich was captured by the forest department on Tuesday, after a six-day hunt, officials said.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ram Singh Yadav told PTI that the leopard, which had strayed from its natural habitat, had been roaming populated areas of Mahsi and Kaiserganj tehsils under Bahraich range since November 8. On November 26, it attacked Shanti Devi in Umri Dhalo village. The woman later succumbed to injuries in hospital.

Following the attack, forest teams, along with experts, launched a trapping operation and placed cages at multiple locations based on the animal's movement. Despite continuous tracking, the wild animal kept shifting locations, prompting officials to relocate the cage several times, they said.

On Monday night, the cage, baited with a goat, was placed in Karipurwa village, under Kataha gram sabha of Tejwapur block.

"The leopard, which had been moving in the area, entered the trap and was captured early Tuesday," Yadav said.

The DFO said the captured animal, a roughly four-year-old male, has been brought safely to the divisional forest office in Bahraich. After a medical examination by veterinarians, it will be released into its natural habitat or sent to a zoological park following approvals from higher authorities.

Yadav said earlier on November 27, when a local youth, Pradeep Kumar, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, entered the same cage out of curiosity. The cage had been placed at a different location at the time. The automatic door closed behind him, leaving him trapped inside with the goat used as bait. It took forest personnel two hours to free him, he said.

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