A leopard was trapped in a cage at a Tirrihanna tea estate in Siliguri subdivision’s Naxalbari block in Darjeeling district on Saturday.
A source in the Kurseong forest division stated that residents of the estate, situated approximately 25 kilometres from Siliguri, had reported that a leopard had strayed into the garden. Over the past couple of weeks, it had taken away cattle and poultry from the workers’ quarters, they added.
Panicked, a section of them stopped going into the plantations in the estate’s Jabra division to pluck tea leaves.
“We had also submitted a memorandum at the Panighata forest range, requesting immediate measures to capture the animal,” said a worker.
Foresters installed a cage in the Jabdra division. On Saturday morning, the workers heard the animal growling and found that it had walked into the cage. Foresters were informed and a team took away the leopard.
“A full-grown male leopard was successfully caged at the Naxalbari tea garden. The animal will be kept under observation before being released into the core forest area,” said a forester.