BARDIYA: A leopard that killed a person in Rajapur Municipality-3, Tighra has been taken under control today.

Following the death of a local resident, Mangal Tharu, 42, from the wild cat attack on Thursday, the Division Forest Office Bardiya had placed two cages to take control of the leopard.

Acting Chief of Office and Senior Forest Officer at the Division Forest Office, Tolak Raj Chapagain, shared that the leopard trapped in the enclosure was found this morning.

The leopard was immediately rescued and handed over to Bardiya National Park, Thakurdwara, at around 9.00 am, he said. The leopard attacked a person from Tharu community on midnight, while sitting on the road in Chakkhapur, Rajapur Municipality-3.

Tharu, seriously injured in the attack, was immediately rescued by locals and taken to Rajapur Primary Health Center. Since treatment was not possible there, he was taken for further treatment to the Teaching Hospital in Nepalgunj, where he was pronounced dead during treatment on Friday.

After the Tharu’s death from the leopard attack, the Division Forest Office started trying to capture the leopard in enclosures from Friday, Chapagain said. “After the attack, we have been effortful to capture the leopard using two enclosures,” he said, adding that they successfully managed to control the leopard today.

The office has stated that this is the first incident of a leopard being safely rescued in Bardiya during the current fiscal year.

Recently, the incidents of attack by leopards have been increasing in the district. From mid-July until now, the Divisional Forest Office Bardiya has reported that 38 domestic animals, including one person, were killed in leopard attacks.

As leopards and tigers have started attacking domestic animals like goats, sheep, pigs, cows, buffaloes, and dogs in the villages, the Divisional Forest Office has been trying to control them by putting them in enclosures.