Mangaluru: Rare black leopard rescued from well at Yedapadavu

On Sunday morning, a black leopard(Panther) was rescued from a well at Gospal Sanila near Yedapadavu.

It is suspected that the feline may have fallen into the well on Saturday night but was spotted on Sunday morning.

Authorities were alerted and after a three-hour operation, the forest department with help from locals rescued the rarely sighted big cat from the well belonging to Shakuntala Acharya.

The rescuers used nets and a cage to trap the leopard before lifting it out of the well.

The rescue efforts were hampered due to the large crowd at the site, eager to click photographs of the rare black leopard. Bajpe police intervened to manage the crowds to ensure safety.

The forest department official Rajesh Balegar said that the rescued black leopard is believed to be around 5 years old. Due to its rarity, it would examined by a veterinarian, before deciding on further action.

Villagers have requested its relocation to the Pilikula Biological Park, he added.

Locals complained that there may be more leopards in the vicinity. The forest department is contemplating the installation of cages to address potential further encounters with these predators.