BELAGAVI
After a month-long unsuccessful mission to capture the leopard which was in hiding near the Race Course ground in Belagavi city, the forest department has now called off the mission from Monday.
The leopard has been elusive since August 5 after it was sighted thrice and escaped once in the midst of the task force.
“Neither the leopard, not any fresh pug marks have been spotted either in Golf Course or in the vicinity for over ten days. We believe that the leopard has left the locality and has perhaps escaped in the forests neighbouring Belagavi city. Hence 'Operation Leopard' was stopped from early Monday morning,” DCF Anthony Mariyappa, who was overseeing the operation, told media persons.
He said the operation has been withdrawn as the animal was not traced in any of the trap cameras and private CCTV cameras since the last 10 days. The elephants which were brought from Shimoga were also transported back on Monday morning.
However, a wild cat was seen on Mandolli Road on Sunday morning and forest authorities said that it could be the same leopard which was camping in the Golf Course area.
Meanwhile, 22 schools that were shut down for about a month reopened from Monday.
