Hunt on to trap elusive leopard

Vijayawada: The forest department officials with the support of wild life department staff made arrangements to trap the leopard which strayed into Duggiralapadu village in G Konduru mandal in Krishna district. The village is near to Kondapalli reserve forest.

The officials have already arranged a cage and CCTV cameras in the village. The villagers, who noticed the pug marks of the leopard, informed the forest department officials. District forest officer P Banerjee, Kondapalli range officer Prasad and other officials camped in the village on Wednesday .

The villagers, who cultivated maize and other crops, are panic to go to the farms due to the presence of leopard. So far, no incident of leopard attack was reported in the village.

The officials decided to lure the leopard into the cage by placing some prey in it and other alternative of using a tranquiliser. The staff of forest camped in the village since Tuesday and would stay for two or three more days to catch the leopard. The officials asked the villagers not to venture of out of their homes and farms during the nights.