Pune: Entangled In Cable Wire, Leopard Gets Stuck Atop Banyan Tree! Rescued After 3 Hours

Pune, 4th January 2023: In a series of unfortunate events, a leopard that was out hunting in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Maharasthra ended up getting entangled in a cable wire. While attempting to free itself, the distressed feline jumped onto a tree but got caught in the branches, resulting in an emergency rescue operation.

Wildlife conservation charity Wildlife SOS and the Maharashtra Forest Department rescued the leopard from this perilous situation and it is currently under medical observation.

The leopard, a female aged approximately 9-10 years old, was found stuck in a Banyan tree near Gulunchwadi village located in the Otur Forest Range of Pune district.

On finding the big cat in peril, the villagers swiftly alerted the forest department. The Wildlife SOS team operating out of the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in Junnar was also alerted.

Equipped with the necessary rescue gear, the Wildlife SOS team rushed to assist the forest officers in the rescue operation. Upon close inspection, it was discovered that a cable wire was tightly wrapped around the animal’s body. In a 3-hour-long operation, the NGO’s veterinarian carefully tranquilised the big cat from a safe distance, after which the leopard was brought down from a 15-foot height and transferred into a transport cage.

Dr. Chandan Sawane, Veterinary Officer, Wildlife SOS said, “The leopard is a female, estimated to be 9-10 years old. The cable wire was tightly wrapped around her abdomen which we removed very gently and the animal has been transported to our centre for further observation and treatment.”

Vaibhav Kakade, Range Forest Officer, Otur Forest Range said, “The leopard was out hunting when it accidentally got entrapped in a cable wire. The scared leopard then jumped onto a tree but the wire wound up entangled in the branches, tightening its grip around the animal’s abdomen. We received the call at 4 am and our officers as well as the Wildlife SOS team arrived at the site at 6 am.”

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS said, “With the leopard being stuck in such a dangerous situation, we had to be extremely cautious and alert to avoid further stress. Our team is well-trained and equipped to handle such complicated situations. The wire was tightly wrapped around the leopard’s body and time was of the essence, as any delay could have turned fatal. We are thankful to the forest officials as well as the villagers who informed us about the emergency on time.”