A dangerous leopard that had terrorised villages in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district for weeks, claiming one life and injuring eight people, has finally been captured. The four-year-old big cat was secured by forest officials using a bait trap, bringing immense relief to the local community living in fear.
The Dramatic Capture in Tejwapur Village
The operation culminated in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Tejwapur's Karipurwa Katha village, located under the Mahsi forest range. After an intensive five-day search through vast sugarcane fields, the forest department's strategy paid off. They had placed four metal trap cages at different locations, baiting them with goats each night.
Around dawn, the target leopard took the bait. As it slipped inside one of the cages and lunged at the goat, the spring-loaded gate snapped shut, trapping the animal. The loud roars of the captured leopard around 7 AM alerted villagers who were heading to their farms. They rushed to the spot to find the leopard snarling inside the cage, still crouched over the goat it had killed.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Bahraich, Ram Singh, who reached the site with a rescue team, confirmed the details. "We used four trap cages at different locations and tied goats every night. Last night, the leopard entered the Karipurwa trap while attempting to kill the goat. The animal has been secured and is being taken for medical examination," he stated. Further action will be taken based on instructions from senior authorities.
A Month-Long Reign of Terror
The captured leopard was responsible for a series of frightening attacks over the past four weeks. Forest officials confirmed the animal had attacked at least nine people. The most tragic incident was the death of 55-year-old Shanti Devi on November 26.
The constant threat had paralysed daily life in Rehua Mansoor and neighbouring hamlets. Fear dictated every movement:
- Parents stopped allowing children to go to school alone.
- Farmers avoided their fields after sunset.
- Labourers, like Raghunath, feared returning home at night.
- Women were restricted from going to the fields in the evening.
Villager Mayaram recounted the pervasive fear, while local resident Rajneesh Trivedi summed up the collective sentiment: "The leopard had unleashed terror. People will now heave a sigh of relief." DFO Ram Singh declined to comment on whether all attacks were definitively by the same leopard.
Next Steps and Lasting Relief
Following its capture, the leopard was transported to the range office for a thorough veterinary assessment. Experts will now evaluate its health and behaviour to decide the next course of action. The possible outcomes include relocation to a more suitable habitat, necessary medical treatment, or a rehabilitation process.
The successful capture marks the end of a tense chapter for the residents of Bahraich. It highlights the ongoing challenges of human-wildlife conflict in regions bordering forest areas and the critical role of forest department teams in resolving such crises. The village, once held hostage by fear, can now begin to return to its normal rhythm.
