Elusive leopard captured near 7th mile along Tirumala Alipiri footpath
TIRUPATI: In a major relief to the devotees visiting the revered Tirumala temple, the state forest department, in collaboration with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), has successfully captured an elusive leopard.
The capture took place in the early hours of Monday in a forested area along the Alipiri footpath leading to the hill town.
This incident marks the fourth successful capture of leopards in the region, following a series of efforts after the distressing incident on June 24, when a three-year-old boy narrowly survived a leopard attack.
The male leopard, believed to be aged five, was immobilised around 4 am near the Prasanna Anjaneya Swamy statue at the 7th mile, forest officials said.
A fully grown and heavily built specimen, the elusive leopard had been evading capture for several days, though its images had been captured on over 200 trap cameras deployed in the vicinity. Forest officials adopted various strategies in over a week’s time to trap the animal. Initial attempts proved futile as the leopard skillfully evaded the traps.
TTD divisional forest officer A. Srinivasulu said, "We were making a try since August 17. The leopard would approach the trap but flee. It sensed danger as it might have observed other leopards being caught in a similar manner in the past. So, we turned off camera flashes and sprayed animal scents to mask human scent around the trap area.”
Chief conservator of forests (CCF) Nageswara Rao said, the captured leopard will undergo a quarantine period of 10 days at the SV Zoo Park. “During this period, the animal will undergo a DNA analysis to determine if it had consumed human flesh. This step is crucial in understanding the leopard's behaviour and its potential threat to humans.”
The first leopard captured on June 24 was eventually released deep into the Seshachalam forests, 40 km away from Tirumala, after medical reports confirmed it was not a man-eater.
However, the two leopards captured on August 14 and 17 remain housed in the zoo park. They were captured quick on the heels of the August 12 incident in which a six-year-old girl was killed in a wild beast attack.
As the forest department awaits a DNA analysis report for the earlier captured leopards, a comparison between the DNA profiles of all three captured leopards aims to identify the one responsible for the recent attack on the minor girl. Decisions on their release into the wild will be made based on forensic reports.
CCF Nageswara Rao emphasised the ongoing efforts to ensure safety, and said, "In collaboration with TTD, the forestry department has installed more than 300 trap cameras along the Tirumala pathway. We would add 500 more cameras to these. While no activity has been observed from other leopards, we will continue to closely monitor the trekking route.”
“A close watch on animal movement along the path to Tirumala remains a key focus, ensuring the safety of both pilgrims and wildlife,” Rao said.
