PONDA: A surprising turn of events unfolded in Vandalya, Dharbandora, as a leopard accidentally got trapped in a cage intended for capturing a menacing black panther. The incident occurred around 2.30 am on Sunday. The trapped leopard has been relocated to the Bondla wildlife sanctuary for medical treatment. Forest officials are now planning to set another trap to capture the elusive black panther.
Earlier, the Collem Forest Department had set up the trap in response to the presence of a black panther, a rare and melanistic colour variant of the leopard, spotted in the area. The black panther had been causing concern after preying on over 25 domestic animals in Sacorda and Dharbandora villages.
Collem Range Forest Officer (RFO) Ravi Shirodkar, along with other forest staff including Gopal Jalmi, Ashish Naik, Ramnath Pednekar, and animal friend Madhuraj Naik, played a crucial role in safely shifting the captured leopard to the Bondla wildlife sanctuary for necessary medical attention.
