Another leopard captured on Tirumala footpath

TIRUPATI: In a major relief to the trekking pilgrims, another leopard was captured on Thursday on the Alipiri - Tirumala footpath. The big cat was captured  amid growing concerns over wild animal attacks in the area, following a tragic incident on August 12 when a six-year-old girl was mauled by a leopard.

The leopard was captured early Thursday by trapping the wild cat in a specially prepared cage situated near the Elephant Arch, in close proximity to the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple on the footpath. Traps and cages were set up at various locations along the footpath after the girl was attacked by leopard.

Forest officials, who coordinated the operation said that the captured leopard is a fully grown adult displaying a high level of ferocity. The latest capture brings the total number of leopards caught in the region to five over the past two months.

Addressing the media, TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy assured the public that 'Operation Leopard' would continue until normalcy returns to the area. He emphasized that the primary objective is to ensure the safety of pilgrims, while parallel efforts to locate and capture any other stalking leopards will also be continued.