COIMBATORE: A leopard which was on the prowl was successfully captured by the forest department in Gudalur in the Nilgiris on Saturday.
On receiving information about the movement of leopard at Devan Estate on Thursday, the staff of the forest department began monitoring it by fixing cameras in multiple locations.
The leopard which was first spotted in a farm in Ponvayal had then moved to Devan Estate.
A team of 25 staff including Rapid Response Team members were deployed in the operation.
Cages were placed in two places frequented by the leopard with raw meat inside as its bait on Friday.
The leopard was found trapped in one of the cages on Saturday around 7am.
An examination by a team of veterinarians revealed that the leopard was a male and aged around five years.
It was then shifted to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), where it was released in the deep forests at ‘Congress Mattam’ area.
The leopard is likely to be monitored by the forest department.
Meanwhile, the local residents, who were gripped in fear, began to heave a sigh of relief over the capture of the leopard.