The hunt for the leopard continues nearly three weeks after its first appearance in Belagavi city.
A team of over 200 police and forest personnel is combing the golf course with sticks and whistles. There are four shooters with dart guns fitted with tranquilisers.
Some persons said they saw the leopard running past the military quarters near Hindalga Ganesh temple. There was some verbal exchanges between residents of the colony and forest officials. The residents complained that the search operations were focussed only on the golf course, neglecting border areas like their colony. Another person said he saw the wild animal jump back into the golf course. Forest officers, however, assured them that all the nearby areas would be covered.
A team of pig catchers from Hukkeri were waiting with nets on the double road in Hanuman Nagar. Two elephants, Arjun and Ale, their handlers, and dart shooters from Shivamogga have joined the operation.
Forest officers cleared some bushes and trees using earthmovers in a corner of the golf course that they said was inaccessible.
Meanwhile, an image of a leopard that has been frequenting Belagavi city were captured in a camera trap on Wednesday night, officials said. It was taken from a camera placed in the golf course at around 10.22 p.m., officers said.
Published - August 25, 2022 09:43 pm IST
