Maneater leopard kept at Sambalpur zoo

Sambalpur: A male leopard, which allegedly killed two humans and injured another in 2023, has been put up for public display at Sambalpur zoo after rehabilitation, a forest official said on Monday.The leopard, aged about 8 years, was captured in Nuapada on November 5 last year and brought to the rescue centre in Sambalpur zoo, said Anshu Pragyan Das, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Hirakud Wildlife Division.

The animal, put up on display from Tuesday, has been kept in a large glass enclosure for better visibility and viewing experience, she said.Das said the leopard’s pairing with the existing female leopard has also been approved by the technical committee of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). “After a few days or months of observation depending on their behaviour, they will be released together,” the DFO said. The leopards will be put up for public display at different times until they become suitable to cohabit together, she added.

The wild leopard had allegedly killed a woman and a minor boy, and injured another minor on the outskirts of Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary in Nuapada during October and November last year, officials said.