Andhra Pradesh: Foresters Use Drones to Trace and Trap Leopard

Forest officials think that the carnivore has been moving in two to three nurseries in the last two days, as they felt the stinking smell emanating from the carcass of a stray dog, which was suspected to have been killed by the leopard. To trap the wild cat, the authorities have set up CCTV cameras, trap cameras and trap cages and placed goats in them as the Iive baits.

Forest officials have cautioned the owners of Kadiyam nurseries to be on high alert. These nurseries are densely populated with the families of farmers living in them, youngsters going there for study or work, several workers attending different duties and hundreds of customers who visit these nurseries daily.

The farmers and workers were asked to check the pump set motor rooms and their surrounding areas before moving into them to avoid any attack from the animal. They were also told to use sticks and torch lights for self-defence. The authorities are taking CCTV camera feeds from the nurseries to track the leopard. Forest personnel is also moving with protection gear in and around the area where the leopard is ducking to track it and to find out the feasibility of tranquilising it once it is confined in a small area.

Kakinada district forest officer S. Bharani said, “We are making all efforts to trap the leopard at Kadiyam nurseries and taking all precautions to avoid any trouble to the farmers and workers. We are expecting that the leopard might go back to its habitat once it finds its path.”