Budgam, Apr 20: A day after a leopard attack left several persons injured in Batpora and Sheikhpora areas of Khansahib in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, wildlife teams on Monday said that search operations are underway to trace the animal.
Bashir Ahmad, an official from the Wildlife Department, told the media persons that they received information about the leopard’s presence on Sunday and rushed to the spot to assess the situation.
“We received a call informing us that the animal had been sighted and required intervention. We immediately rushed to the location. However, there was a slight delay in our response as we were engaged in an operation at another site, and the distance between the two locations is considerable,” the official said.
Ahmad said the leopard managed to escape after the incident, and teams have since been engaged in continuous efforts to track its movement. “We have launched a search operation and installed traps in the area. We are hopeful of capturing the animal soon,” he said.
According to the official, leopards generally move within a radius of 10 to 12 kilometres and are likely to remain within that range in search of food, adding that the animal may have been disturbed in its natural habitat and acted in self-defence.
Meanwhile, the department has issued an advisory urging residents to remain vigilant, avoid venturing out alone, keep children under close supervision, and properly dispose of kitchen waste to prevent attracting stray dogs, which could draw the leopard into residential areas—(KNO)
