The Kurseong forest division on Tuesday captured a leopard that had strayed into a human habitation in Mirik. This is the second such incident there in the past few months.

The leopard was first spotted in the Raidhap area near Kawlay, which is in ward six of Mirik town, located around 50km from here.

The location, officials said, has an abandoned pond which is now covered with dense vegetation and has created a favourable habitat for wild animals.

Following the sighting, the residents informed the forest department. Local people recalled that a similar rescue operation was carried out in the same area a few months ago, when foresters had rescued another leopard along with its cubs.

Acting swiftly, a team of forest guards from the Bamanpokhri forest range of the division visited the site on Monday and installed a cage with live bait to trap the animal.

Devesh Pandey, the divisional forest officer of Kurseong, said during inspection on Tuesday morning, officials found a female leopard, estimated to be around three years old, trapped in the cage.

“The secluded area, once used as a pond, has now become heavily overgrown with weeds and bushes, which may have attracted the leopard. After the successful rescue operation, the animal was transported to the core area of the Lamagumba forest under the Bamanpokhri range and released safely into the wild,” he said.