the goan I network
BICHOLIM
According to reports, locals from Wadawal were shocked to find a leopard struggling for life after getting trapped in a snare to trap wild boars and the news spread like wildfire. People flocked to the site to catch a glimpse of the animal.
On receiving news, environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar also rushed to the site and saw the leopard in distress. “Noticing that the leopard was still alive, I alerted Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Ajai Saxena, who, in turn, dispatched a rescue team to the spot. Babanrao Rane, former sarpanch from Wadawal, notified the Police Control Room and requested them to save the animal,” said Kerkar.
“However, by the time the forest rescue team could reach the site, the leopard died of injuries,” he added.
Subodh Naik, a member of Vivekanand Environment Brigade informed The Goan that he too had visited the site and had seen the leopard alive and struggling for life.
According to Rane, the forest rescue team took nearly two-and-half hours to reach the spot. By that time, the leopard had died, he added.
RFO Vilas Gawas and a rescue team later confirmed that the leopard, which was about four-five years old, had died of injuries. Meanwhile, environmentalists have expressed concern over the growing use of such snares to trap animals.
“It is very painful to see wild animals being killed in such manner. The forest department has to take concrete initiative to control such incidents and punish those guilty,” said Kerkar.
