Ooty: The panther which was captured by forest officials from the house of a farmer at Pattavayal village near Gudalur on the Nilgiris border on Tuesday night, is being treated for injuries. Hence, the proposal to release the animal into the Mudumalai jungles is getting delayed.
It may be recalled that on Tuesday afternoon a panther was found inside the house of one Rayan, a farmer at Pattavayal.
The farmer and his family were away from home for a short break when the stray wild cat found the house as a safe haven to hide there.
Luckily for the farmer’s family, Rayan quickly closed the door of the room in which the panther took refuge thus trapping the animal inside, and informed forest officials about the intruder.
Foresters and veterinarians who reached the spot waited patiently till the panther was trapped on Tuesday night in a cage set up by them at the entrance of the house.
They decided to release the captured panther into the nearby Mudumalai jungles by Wednesday early morning. Since minor wounds were found on its hind legs and hip, veterinarians wanted the panther to be treated for its wounds before being released into the woods. The panther was taken to the forest range office at Bitherkad near Gudalur where a team of veterinarians treated the animal on Wednesday. Dr N.S. Manohar, Joint Director of Animal Husbandry, said that as of now the panther would be kept under treatment. On Thursday evening, a final call will be taken on its release into the jungles depending upon its recovery, he added.
