Leopard rescued from house in Punjab village after three-hour operation   

A leopard was rescued from a house in a village here after a three-hour operation, forest department officials said on Wednesday.

The operation was conducted in Dandoh village near Janauri on Tuesday night.

Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Amneet Singh said the department received information that a leopard was sighted inside a house in Dandoh. A rescue team led by Forest Range Officer Vikramjit Singh rushed to the spot and found the animal inside a fodder room in the house.

Two veterinarians were called in and the leopard, believed to be around three years old, was tranquillised using a dart gun after nearly three hours. It was safely rescued and released into the forest the same night, he said.

Dandoh is located on the edge of the Shivalik forest range, where the leopard population has seen a notable increase in recent years. As a result, leopard sightings in villages adjoining the forest have become more frequent, DFO Singh said.

Punjab