Kathmandu, January 23
A leopard was rescued near the Sapredhunga Bridge in Budhanilkantha Municipality-8, Kathmandu, on Thursday morning. A team from the Division Forest Office successfully darted and captured the animal.
According to Pushpa Raj Bartaula, Chief of the Division Forest Office, Kathmandu, the rescue operation began after receiving information about the leopard’s sighting at around 8:30 am. A team led by Shankar Thapa from the Division Forest Office was dispatched to the area. The leopard was darted once and brought under control by 11:00 am. It was then safely rescued and sent to the relevant authorities for further treatment and investigation.
Ashok Parajuli, Chief of the Sub-Division Forest Office in Gokarna, who was part of the rescue team, stated that the leopard was physically healthy and might have entered the urban area in search of prey. “It is likely that the leopard came from nearby forests. Leopards are often seen in this area,” he said.
A large number of locals had gathered during the rescue operation, which posed some challenges for the team.
The rescue team included veterinarian Dr. Ashutosh Bhatt, forest officer Ashok Parajuli, ranger Satish Dahal, and forest guards Ram Chandra Sapkota, Kishor Kumar Thapa, and Suraj Pandit, along with driver Resham Paudel. Additionally, a seven-member police team led by Inspector Suresh Khatri was deployed to assist.
Veterinarian Dr. Bhatt reported that this fiscal year alone, about eight leopards causing problems in human settlements in and around Kathmandu have been successfully rescued.
With increasing leopard activity in the region, the Forest Department has been intensifying its monitoring efforts and has also been setting traps in various locations to control the movement of these animals.
