Young Leopard rescued after being hit by vehicle near Turahalli Forest Reserve

A young female leopard caused a stir near Turahalli Forest Reserve after being hit by a vehicle while crossing the road on Wednesday morning. The incident led to a temporary traffic halt as the animal sought refuge under a BMTC bus.

“The incident happened around 10.20am. I was on my way to pick up my children from chess class when I saw the leopard jumping from one side of the forest and being hit by a vehicle while crossing the road. It was a White car. I didn’t notice the number or model. The driver didn’t stop after the collision,” Harshita Sudhish, an onlooker told TOI. Harshitha immediately alerted People for Animals Wildlife Hospital leading to a swift resonse from a team of rescuers and vets.

“ The leopard was stuck behind the front wheel with its tail hanging. We pulled it out from the tail. Rahul, one of our rescuers, caught the neck of the leopard. It was quite a struggle. The animal seemed to be in shock. It looked very scared,’ recalls colonel Dr Navaz Shariff, chief wildlife veterinarian at PfA Wildlife Hospital. “We immediately rushed it to the hospital. We mildly sedated it before examining it thoroughly,” he added.

The sub adult leopard weighing 9.5 kg appeared to be in good health. There were no injuries despite the vehicle collision, said Dr Madhav HV who was part of the rescue team.

A nocturnal animal, the leopard was released to its natural habitat at 9 pm in collaboration with the Karnataka Forest Department.


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