Leopard that killed a girl in Pithoragarh caught, to be released into the wild

The forest department has managed to catch a leopard that had recently killed a seven-year-old girl in the district and caused a panic in the area, officials said Tuesday.

"The 5-feet-long leopard which had created a panic in Bhattigaon (where the girl was killed) and adjoining villages was trapped when it entered the cage for a piece of flesh put inside it Monday night," Forest Officer Chandra Mahra said.

It was taken to the SDO office where a large number of people gathered out of curiosity, he said.According to forest officer, the animal will be released into the forest about 25 km from the spot where it was caught.Meanwhile, some animal-lovers in Berinag sub division, in which the village is located, have objected to the way the big cat was treated by forest officers after being caught.

The animal was injured with one of its canine teeth broken but no medical treatment was provided to it. Moreover, it was kept without food for hours after being caged," said Pradeep Mahra, an animal rights activist.