Bringing relief to the residents of Vendaykkumchal and Meeshakkavala in Kelakam grama panchayat in Kannur, Kerala, who had been living in fear for the past two days, the leopard that had strayed into the human habitation area was trapped in a cage set up by the Forest Department on Monday night.

The animal was later shifted safely to the Rapid Response Team (RRT) veterinary unit, where it underwent health checks and was subsequently released into the deep forest. The leopard was trapped just hours after the Forest Department intensified surveillance and search operations in the area.

Acting on the directions of Kannur Divisional Forest Officer S. Vysakh, a large-scale search was launched from Monday morning in Vendaykkumchal and Meeshakkavala under the leadership of Kottiyoor Range Forest Officer T. Nithin Raj, with local residents also participating. The search was carried out by dividing personnel into three groups, which included RRT veterinary doctor Ilyas Rauther, RRT Deputy Ranger Shainikumar, and Section Forest Officers Manoj Kumar, Pramod, and Sunil Kumar.

During the search, the team recovered the remains of the goat that had been dragged away by the leopard from Meeshakkavala on Sunday night. The carcass was found in a bushy area around 130 metres away from the site where the cage had been placed. The team then followed the leopard’s pugmarks and conducted inspections up to the hilltop at Vendaykkumchal.

As part of the precautionary measures, an additional leopard cage brought by the RRT was urgently installed at the plantation of Kunhu at Vattakkad in Meeshakkavala. Camera traps were also set up in Vendaykkumchal and Meeshakkavala, while warning announcements were made through public address systems and night patrols were intensified in the area.

The leopard was trapped in the cage installed at Kunhu’s plantation at Vattakkad at around 7:20 p.m., only hours after the cage and cameras were set up. On receiving the information, the range officer, elected representatives, senior officials, the RRT team, and forest personnel shifted the animal safely in a department vehicle to the RRT veterinary unit.

The leopard, estimated to be a five-year-old male, was found to be in good health after a detailed examination by the veterinary doctor. The doctor confirmed that the animal had sustained no damage to its teeth or claws and was fully healthy. Following orders from senior officials and on the advice of the RRT doctor, the leopard was safely released into an uninhabited deep forest area.

The Kelakam grama panchayat president, other elected representatives, and local residents extended full cooperation to the Forest Department in the timely and swift operation. With the leopard being trapped and removed from the area, the anxiety that had gripped residents over the past few days came to an end.