Caught in a trap, freed by dawn: Forest team rescues leopard, arrests poacher

Raipur: A leopard trapped in a wire snare was rescued in a swift operation carried out by the Katghora forest division in Korba district on Feb 9. Several-hour-long operation led to the arrest of a poacher and the recovery of hunting equipment. The leopard was later safely released into the core area of the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve after being declared fit by the veterinary team.The incident came to light around 8 pm when local villagers informed the Pali Range Officer about a leopard caught in a snare in compartment number P-134 of the Lafa beat in Pali range. Upon reaching the spot, the team observed that the leopard was aggressively attempting to free itself from the wire trap, necessitating chemical immobilisation.The rescue operation began at 3 am the following day. Dr P K Chandan and his team successfully tranquilised the adult male leopard. Once the animal was sedated, forest officials removed the wire snare and provided the necessary medical treatment for minor injuries.Parallel to the rescue, a search operation was launched to identify the person responsible for the snare. A dog squad from the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve assisted forest guards in tracking a scent from the site to a nearby village. The search led to the residence of 37-year-old Vijay Kumar Gond. Forest officials recovered pieces of the same wire used in the snare, along with other traps and weapons used for poaching. The accused confessed to the crime during interrogation.