The leopard that had been spreading fear across several villages in the Mishrikh area of the Sitapur district, adjacent to Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow, was finally captured on Wednesday. The big cat was trapped in a cage set up by the Forest Department in Rampur Khewta.
Early on Wednesday morning, villagers spotted the leopard inside the cage and informed the authorities. A Forest Department team soon reached the site and safely secured the animal.
The leopard was first seen roaming on rooftops in Datwal village three weeks ago. It was later spotted in over two dozen villages, including Guzrehata, Ashrafnagar Sedholi, Rampur Khewta, and Raghunathpur, causing panic among residents. After villagers found pugmarks in fields and reported frequent sightings, the Forest Department installed a cage in Rampur Khewta two weeks ago.
According to officials, the leopard entered the cage while attempting to prey on a goat tied inside as bait. Its capture has brought considerable relief to locals who had been living in fear for weeks.
Earlier, the animal had been seen resting in a sugarcane field in Udaiyapur Purvi Majra Rajpur, and a video recorded by villagers had gone viral on social media. Another video recently surfaced showing the leopard walking near Birahimpur.
The Forest Department is now preparing to relocate the captured leopard to a safe location for release.