Bondla beckons leopard caught on Borim stroll

Ponda: A leopard that was captured after it strolled amid traffic at Borim will be relocated to Bondla Zoo’s rehabilitation centre till it develops hunting skills. After a Ponda veterinarian suggested that the leopard be shifted, the Ponda range forest officer (RFO) sought permission from the chief wildlife warden to do so.

The female leopard is 14 to 18 months old. The veterinarian said that it should be kept under observation at the Bondla centre for a month, before considering its release into the wild.

The leopard was caught at Borim last Friday. People were amazed to see the big cat on the busy road in daylight. “The rescuers said they did not have to struggle to catch the leopard. The animal did not offer any resistance. It entered the cage as if it were a domesticated dog,” said Vishwas Chodankar, the Ponda assistant conservator of forests.

Ponda RFO Deepak Tandel said the leopard was taken to the Ponda veterinary hospital for a check-up. “Although the big cat is okay, it is not aggressive as leopards usually are,” Tandel said.