Forest dept. steps up efforts to catch leopard

The measures include preventing crowding in the golf course in Belagavi

Forest officers have stepped up efforts to catch a leopard that has successfully eluded them for over three weeks in Belagavi now.

The Forest Department has decided to follow some of the standard operating procedures prescribed by the national tiger conservation authority. The steps include preventing crowding in the golf course and to withdraw additional personnel from the site.

This was decided after two meetings in which officers, including Chief Conservator of Forests Manjunath Chauhan, Deputy Conservator of Forests Anthony M. and Assistant Conservator of Forests M. Kusnal, participated.

This decision was taken as pressure increased on the department after criticism from some quarters that the government was not following standard operating procedures.

Meanwhile, environmentalist Sameer Majli took objection to the methods adopted by the Forest Department to catch the leopard. He also appealed to people not to ridicule the department’s efforts.

“Crowding in the golf course will only complicate things. It will further antagonise the animal, especially, if there are cubs, and then, things will get worse. I am not sure why hunting dogs have been brought to the site. It is fine if they are just tracking dogs. But if they are hunting dogs, they will further complicate the scenario. The best thing to do is to seek advice from people who have worked with leopards before and that too in urban areas,’’ he said.

Co-founder of Pyaas foundation Madhav Prabhu said that the whole operation should be dropped.