Leopard gives rescue team the slip in Bengaluru, escapes after attacking vet

An official from BBMP forest wing told DH that the big cat escaped into the thick bushes after a sharpshooter darted at it.

Bengaluru: The leopard which has been on the prowl in Bommanahalli industrial for the last four days was darted with a tranquilizer by the team of forest officers who have been stationed there. However, it managed to escape after attacking a veterinarian on Wednesday morning.

An official from the BBMP forest wing told DH that the big cat escaped into the thick bushes after a sharpshooter shot a dart at it. “The team is searching for the leopard in the bushes, it will soon be caught,” the official said.

The injured veterinarian has been rushed to the hospital. “The doctor’s neck was scratched by the big cat when he tried to tranquilize it. It is a minor injury,” BLG Swamy, Deputy Conservator of Forest BBMP, told DH.

Swamy added that the leopard was sighted by wildlife rescuers around 2 am on Wednesday near the under-construction building where it was seen in the wee hours on Tuesday morning too.

“By the time the other teams which were patrolling with the tranquilizing gun arrived near the spotted location, the big cat had vanished,” Swamy said, adding soon all patrolling personnel and forest officials swooped down on the building leaving no room for the cat to escape.

“It went into bushes when the personnel surrounded it. As it was night, it was hard to track where it sought shelter," Swamy told DH.