Two leopards that had strayed into two tea estates in the Jalpaiguri district were trapped in cages laid by the state forest department on Sunday.

The capture of the leopards comes as a relief for the workers and their families.

A source said that a leopard was roaming around the Chulsa tea estate of Matiali block for the past few days.

“It was taking away poultry and cattle, especially in the evening and night. Most of us were concerned and stayed indoors after dusk to avoid any attack,” said a worker.

Foresters of the wildlife squad posted in Khunia laid a trap with bait in the plantations of the garden two days ago, a source said.

On Sunday morning, workers heard growling and found the leopard trapped inside
the cage.

Another leopard was caught at the plantations of the Haldibari tea estate in the Banarhat block of the district.

The wildlife squad of Binnaguri had recently installed a cage following complaints from tea garden workers. On Sunday morning, the leopard was trapped.

Foresters soon reached both locations and rescued the animals.

The leopards would be kept under observation before being released into the wild, a forester said.

Leopards often stray into tea gardens for food, especially poultry, with such incidents often causing animal-human conflict.

On May 27, an adult leopard was trapped in a cage laid by the forest department at the plantations of the Zurantee tea estate in the Matiali block of Jalpaiguri.

On May 13, at the Dhalabari-Lalbari village in the Kranti block of Jalpaiguri, a leopard, which had strayed into the area, attacked people and ran helter-skelter. Foresters managed to tranquillise it after some hours. At least three people, including a policeman, were injured.

On May 8, a leopard was trapped in the Jiti tea estate in Nagrakata block of Jalpaiguri.