Foresters of the Darjeeling wildlife division rescued an ailing leopard from the Labda in Mungpoo under the Kurseong subdivision of the district on Thursday.
The animal is currently undergoing treatment at the Senchel forest range of the district.
The rescue marks the second leopard-related incident in the Mungpoo area within a month, raising concerns about the increasing movement of wild animals into human habitations along forest fringes.
Sources in the forest department said that a resident spotted the sub-adult leopard lying beneath a culvert in Labda early on Thursday morning. He immediately alerted officials of the Senchel forest range.
A team of foresters reached the spot and found the animal ailing.
“As the leopard appeared sick and was unable to stand properly, it was carefully rescued and transported to the Senchel forest range office for treatment and observation,” said a forester.
Later, vets examined the animal. Forest officials said no visible external injuries have been detected on the leopard's body, but it has been kept under medical supervision.
“The animal seems to have strayed from the nearby forest area. A veterinarian is monitoring its health. Once it recovers fully, it will be released into the forest,” the forester added.
Labda, a small hilly hamlet located around 50km from Siliguri, is on the fringes of the Senchel forest range. It often witnesses wild animals from the forests nearby.
A similar incident occurred in the locality on May 26 when a fully grown leopard strayed into a residential area and took shelter inside a local school. Foresters reached the spot, tranquillised and rescued it. However, that leopard was not ailing.