Three leopards which escaped out of their enclosures in Gopalpur Zoo near Palampur in Kangra district during the intervening night of 14 and 15 March, 2017 have been successfully captured and put back in their enclosures.
A Forest Department official informed today that it was an act of sabotage by some miscreants as the fence of the enclosures was found cut at two places by the zoo staff on Wednesday morning. Later, three leopards were found missing from the zoo. Immediately thorough hunt was carried out by the zoo staff in the nearby areas and a female leopard was found near the enclosure and was captured.
He said that during the search operation it was suspected that two leopards were present in a nullah about 50 meters from the zoo boundary and meat pieces were laid from nullah to lure them back. One of the female leopards walked back towards the enclosures in the day time which was tranquilized and locked back safely.
The third leopard (male) was also traced in that very nullah today morning and was successfully brought back to its enclosure, he added.
He said that FIR had been lodged for the sabotage act in the zoo and matter was also being inquired by zoo officials.
