A leopard was trapped in the plantations of the Gairkata tea estate in Banarhat block of Jalpaiguri on Monday.
For the past few days, the animal had been taking away cattle and livestock from the tea workers’ quarters, triggering panic in the area.
Residents informed foresters, who in turn laid a cage in the plantations. Finally, an adult male leopard was found trapped in it on Monday.
A team from the Binnaguri wildlife squad reached the spot and rescued the animal. It would be examined and released into the wild, foresters said.
Jumbo herd loots rice
A herd of wild elephants broke into a rice godown in Chalsa of Jalpaiguri early on Monday and devoured the grains stored in it.
Local sources said the herd broke through the boundary gate of a house and then moved to a banana plantation, which they vandalised. Then, they targeted a rice warehouse beside the plantation, breaking a section of the wall to pull out sacks of rice through their trunks. When residents woke up in the morning, they found rice grains scattered all across the road.
Foresters said a quick response team was deployed in the area and patrolling stepped up.