Two leopards captured in village near Bengaluru after fatal attack on woman

PTI, Nov 26, 2024, 3:36 PM IST

A week after a 52-year-old woman was mauled to death by a leopard near Shivagange Hills in Nelamangala taluk, the Forest department has captured two leopards from Kambalu Gollarahatti village, officials said on Tuesday.

A seven-year-old male leopard was captured on Monday, followed by a nine-year-old female leopard on Tuesday from the same area, they said.

Blood and hair samples of the leopards have been collected and will be sent to the National Centre for Biological Sciences. DNA analysis will determine if either of the captured leopards was responsible for the fatal attack, a senior forest official said.

The victim, identified as Kariamma, was killed on November 17 while cutting grass in an agricultural field near her home. She was reportedly dragged into the forest by a leopard, which mauled her to death and consumed parts of her body.

In response, the Forest Department deployed large cages and installed eight pairs of camera traps around the area to track the leopards.

“Camera traps captured footprints of two male leopards and one female leopard. This enabled us to locate and capture the male and female leopards. Our teams are actively searching for the third male leopard whose footprints were recorded,” the official added.

Efforts are ongoing to ensure the safety of residents and monitor wildlife in the region.