Agra April 19 (IANS) A critically injured leopard from the Meerut Forest Division is back in the wild after getting treated at a specialised hospital in Agra run by the Wildlife SOS, a non-profit conservation organisation.
Forest officials said a three-year-old injured leopard was rescued recently and transferred to the Wildlife SOS transit facility. After recovery, the animal was released into its natural habitat in the Shivaliks.
The leopard had sustained an injury on the forehead and had a badly wounded paw.
Ilayaraja S., Deputy Director, Veterinary Services, Wildlife SOS, said, “For the initial 4-5 days since arrival, the leopard was not consuming food properly. But after providing appetiser syrups, the leopard started showing signs of appetite, and was eating and drinking normally.”
When found fully fit, the leopard was released in the Badkala Forest Range in the Shivaliks.
Baiju Raj M.V., Director, Conservation Projects, Wildlife SOS, said, “With the support of the chief wildlife warden of Uttar Pradesh and the chief conservator of forests for Meerut zone, we were able to release the leopard back into the wild.”
Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS, said, “With growing infrastructure, wild animals are constantly threatened with degradation and loss of natural habitat. In such cases, we must ensure that animals such as this leopard deserve their rightful space to live in the wild.”
–IANS
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