Leopard involved in fatal attack on devotee at M. M. Hills captured by Karnataka Forest Department

The Forest Department of Karnataka has captured a leopard believed to beryllium responsible for the decease of a pilgrim astatine the Male Mahadeshwara Hills.

On January 21, a leopard attacked a devotee adjacent the Rangaswamy Vaddu starring to the M M Hills temple astir 5.45 a.m. The victim, Praveen (35), a nonmigratory of Mandya district, sustained injuries that claimed his life. His assemblage was recovered astir 100 metres from the spot.

Following the incident, the Forest Department launched a large-scale cognition involving implicit 40 personnel, including wildlife experts, veterinarians, trained trackers and drone surveillance teams. As a precautionary measure, the territory medication imposed a impermanent prohibition connected padayatra by devotees and two-wheeler question connected the elevation routes starring to the temple from January 21 evening to January 24 evening.

Using drone surveillance and crushed tracking, the wood squad traced the question of the animal. Two cages and camera traps were acceptable up astatine the site. The leopard, identified arsenic a five-year-old male, was tranquillised and captured astir 8.30 p.m. connected January 22.

Forest officials said the carnal was recovered to beryllium successful bully health.

Based connected stripe signifier investigation and drone visuals, experts astatine the Tiger Cell successful Aranya Bhavan, Bengaluru confirmed that the captured leopard was progressive successful the fatal attack. The leopard has been shifted to the Chamundi Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre astatine Koorgalli for further observation, pursuing directions from elder wood officials.

Following the attack, Minister in-charge of Chamarajanagar territory K. Venkatesh had convened an exigency gathering successful Chamarajanagar connected January 22. He had directed wood officials to instrumentality the incidental with utmost seriousness and fortify measures to forestall wildlife attacks connected humans. He stressed that specified incidents should not recur successful the future.