SINDAGI: After 48 days of continuous efforts, the Forest Department successfully captured a leopard on Monday in a cage trap set near Somajala village in the taluk. The big cat was first spotted on August 18 near Asangihala village. Just days later, it killed a buffalo in a sugarcane field close to Devaranavadagi village. Following this incident, the leopard eluded capture for several days, with reports of sightings near Ghattarga village in the Afzalpur taluk. On September 10, a local farmer managed to photograph the leopard at night in a field near Kulekumatagi village.
The operation was overseen by Deputy Conservator of Forests Shivasharanaiah and Assistant Conservator of Forests Bhagyavant Masudi. The team, led by Range Forest Officer Rajeev Biradara, included Deputy Range Forest Officers Priyanka Nagar and S.S. Biradara, along with patrol forest guards Vitthal Channur, Shivanand Madgond, Muttappa Kantikar, Beeresh Rajoli, and Guru Ramagirimatha. Together, they conducted thorough surveillance operations throughout the period.
Residents from surrounding villages have expressed their appreciation for the Forest Department’s successful capture of the leopard, highlighting the importance of wildlife management in the region.