3-year-old leopard stuck in 'jaw trap' rescued in Maharashtra

A 3-year old male leopard was found trapped in a jaw trap set up by poachers in Jeur Haibati village here. The mammal was later rescued by Wildlife SOS and the Forest Department.

The feline's left forelimb was caught in the lethal hunting device, however, the injured leopard is currently under medical care at a transit facility.

On Thursday, the Wildlife SOS team based out of Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre, Junnar, received a call from the Maharashtra Forest Department about a leopard caught in a deadly jaw trap after which a four-member team from the NGO rushed to the location, a statement read.

Wildlife SOS senior veterinarian Dr Ajay Deshmukh immobilized the big cat, using a sedative injection from a safe distance. Once the team had administered the drug, they carefully removed the jaw trap from the entrapped forelimb, said an official statement.

Dr Ajay Deshmukh, Senior Veterinarian at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre said, "We had to first tranquillize the leopard to carefully remove the jaw trap. Any further delay would have caused severe damage to the forelimb. We disinfected the wound and have administered topical treatment along with analgesics and anti-inflammatory medication. Fortunately, the injury is superficial, and no internal injuries have been detected."

Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS told the media that the animal was in great distress and he was glad that the operation was carried out successfully.

"The leopard was in a state of distress and was confused and frightened by all the noise and screaming. We are glad the teams from Wildlife SOS and Forest Department were able to carry out this rescue operation successfully. We are appalled by this heinous act of crime against an innocent animal. Jaw-traps are lethal hunting devices which can cause severe lacerations, joint dislocations, fractures and even death in most cases," he said.

B.V. Shinde, Range Forest Officer, Ahmednagar, also claimed that the Forest Department and Wildlife SOS have in the past collectively rescued wild animals from conflicts situations, arising in the state.

He added, "We are grateful for their cooperation and applaud the efficient work done by the team at Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre. There is an urgent need to educate the public about the illegality of such offences in order to curb poaching. The Forest Department will be investigating this matter closely.