One more leopard was caught at Tirumala walkway on Wednesday night. This is the second leopard caught after a six-year-old girl Lakshita was killed in a leopard attack last week and third to be caught in 50 days.
The forest officials set up a cage and the leopard got trapped in a cage. The forest officials set up camera traps on both sides of the walkway. In many of these cameras, movements of leopards have been detected.
The staff found the leopard trapped in a cage near the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple after midnight on Wednesday. Another trap was set up at the knee step. The forest department officials estimated that there are more than 40 leopards roaming in the forests of Seshachalam. About ten of these leopards are coming near the staircase leading to the temple. The forest department has been alerted after the child was targeted. Camera traps were installed on both sides of the staircase. About 500 cameras were used to track the movements of the leopards.
As there was movement of cheetahs in the same area near the stairway, cages were set up to trap them. Forest department officials have predicted that the leopard will get trapped in the cage set up at the 35th turn.
Why are they frequently spotted on the walkway?
As the Tirumala walkway was deserted during the Covid period, the movement of wild animals had increased. Ten cheetahs were spotted coming near the staircase. Forest department officials say that cheetahs are coming close to areas where movement of humans is there in search of food.
Devotees going to Tirumala on the steps are throwing food and offering it to wild animals. For these animals like deer are coming close to humans. Forest department officials say that leopards are coming to hunt them.
Officials explained that the cheetah was trapped in a cage near the Lakshminarasimha temple. As the cheetah was injured while trapped in the cage, the authorities made arrangements to take the trapped cheetah to SV Zoo for treatment.
The Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams has focused on curbing the movement of cheetahs due to widespread criticism following attack on humans. TTD has made it clear that any steps taken to prevent the movement of leopards require permission from the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment.
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