Belagavi: The leopard, which has been playing hide and seek with forest workers for the last 22 days near a golf course in the heart of Belagavi city, is not yet caught in the trap.
Thursday’s deadline set by the Forest Minister Umesh Katti came and went.
A new trick that forest officials are trying is honey trapping the animal. Since the elusive leopard is a male, personnel spray the female leopard’s urine in the hope that the male will come within sniffing and be captured.
The forest department is reportedly spending Rs 2.5 lakh a day in the hope of catching the animal. 160 personnel on the job and two elephants have been brought from a camp in Shivamogga. The personnel have eight tranquilizers, nine trapping cages and drone cameras. Hunter Dogs and pig catchers were used for a day but to no avail.
As long as the leopard remains trapped, 22 schools in the area, where 10,000 children are educated, will remain closed. Schools have started online classes.
The leopard was spotted on Thursday near the Hindalga Ganapati temple, located next to the golf course. The temple has also been closed after leopard sightings in the area.
A senior pro-Kannada leader, Ashok Chandragi“The lack of experts and hierarchy within the department is the main reason for the delay in catching the leopard”, the official said.
Amidst all this, the forest department has landed in another controversy, that of allegedly stealing five quintals of sugarcane to feed two elephants in the operation. Farmer Raju Kanabarkari of mutaga The village alleges that the forest workers cut his crop without his consent. He has demanded compensation.
Senior officials have assured compensation after taking stock of the damage.
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