Leopard with cubs found near Konaraopet forest area

KARIMNAGAR: A few farmers from Shivalingalapalli village on Monday reported seeing a leopard and her two cubs at the local dump yard. On seeing them, the farmers claimed, the leopard picked up one of the cubs and entered the forest, but did not come back for the second.

After waiting for some time, the farmers notified forest rangers.

Sircilla Range forest officer Srinivas Rao, section officer Bapuraju, and other forest staff went to the spot and fed the cub. They left the cub at the spot in the hope that the leopard would come back for it. They installed CCTV cameras in the area to monitor the leopard's movements.

The forest officials cautioned locals against going out alone or going too close to the dump yard because the leopard could return for the cub.

Forest officer Srinivas Rao stated that there are six leopards in the forest zone on the fringes of the Konaraopet mandal, and the spotting of two more cubs took the total to eight. "If the leopard does not return for the cub, we will shift it to a zoo," he stated.