- Title: Forest officials catch leopard from residential area in northern India
- Date: 19th February 2016
- Summary: PITHORAGARH, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA (FEBRUARY 18, 2016) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) FOREST OFFICIALS BREAKING WINDOW / LEOPARD BEHIND WINDOW CLOSE OF LEOPARD'S FACE LEOPARD JUMPING LEOPARD BITING STICK AND JUMPING UP AT WINDOW VIEW THROUGH WINDOW OF LEOPARD SITTING RESIDENTS GATHERED ON TERRACES INJURED HAND OF MAN ANOTHER MAN WITH INJURED HAND (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) LOCAL RESIDENT, DEEPAK CHANDRA, SAYING: "The leopard jumped over the head of a woman while she was working in an open area in her house the day before yesterday. She was saved. But since then this leopard has been roaming around the city. It had not been caught yet. Today we saw it in a residential area around 6 a.m. (GMT 00:30), from where it ran away and injured two people. We have now trapped it." VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS AND FOREST OFFICIALS GATHERED AROUND LEOPARD BEHIND A NET CROWD LOOKING ON
- Embargoed: 4th March 2016 00:55
- Keywords: Pithoragarh India forest officials Uttarakhand leopard rescue
- Location: PITHORAGARH, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA
- City: PITHORAGARH, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001455LNPH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
Forest officials in India's northern state of Uttarakhand caught a leopard from a residential area in on Thursday (February 18) after it injured two people.
Authorities said the wild leopard entered the residential area two days earlier and had been roaming around the town of Pithoragarh since then. Two people were reportedly injured by the animal.
One local resident, Deepak Chandra, said a woman was saved from being attacked by the animal.
"The leopard jumped over the head of a woman while she was working in an open area in her house the day before yesterday. She was saved. But since then this leopard has been roaming around the city. It had not been caught yet. Today we saw it in a residential area around 6 a.m. (GMT 00:30), from where it ran away and injured two people. We have now trapped it," Chandra said.
On Thursday authorities were able to trap the leopard in a net after it was tranquilised.
Officials said the leopard would be taken to the forest department before being released into the wild.
India's leopards are under threat, with increasing numbers of the wild cats being poached for their body parts and villagers killing them for straying into human settlements.
Depletion of their habitat has also threatened the leopards, forcing them to stray into human settlements - attacking people and cattle - and often getting killed in return.
Last week four people were injured when a leopard was found in the grounds of a school in India.
Wildlife experts say tiger and leopard parts are in great demand in China and other Asian countries. They are wanted for their skins, which are worn during festivals, as well as for their bones and body parts which are used in traditional medicines.
Wild animals like elephants, leopards and panthers often stray into inhabited areas in India in search of food. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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