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Leopard suffers in IMA trap for hours

A three-and-a-half year-old leopardess was found stuck in a trap made up of clutch wire at a fence between Indian Military academy's golf course and Forest Research Institute early on Sunday morning. 

To the suffering animal's misfortune, the operation to rescue it began as late as 10 am as a team of forest officials and veterinarians from Wildlife Instituteof India reached only at 9.30 am. 

The animal suffered injuries on its abdomen and had to be tranquilized repeatedly before being released in the jungles of Barkot range of Dehradun forest division.Sub divisional officer, Dehradun forest division, Bharat Singh told TOI, "The forest department would file case against the IMA authorities for setting up the trap. We will also check out for more such traps laid out in the area."

However, The IMA officials present at the spot expressed ignorance about the trap.At around 6 am on Sunday, an army personal heard the sound of a moaning leopard and informed his seniors, who then alerted the forest department. Surprisingly, the forest department did not have a single veterinarian of its own, because of which the exercise to rescue the trapped leopard was delayed. 

"The department does not have a veterinarian which is why we had to wait for one from Wildlife Institute of India," admitted Sub divisional officer Gulbir Singh.Gauri Maulekhi, member secretary of People for Animals, said, "WII veterinarian is a researcher and travels most of the times. 
Had he not been here, the forest department would have carried out this operation through somebody who is not proficient in the task." She added that the animal would have been in so much stress since Saturday night and could have died.


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