The tension that created in the people of Belagavi city of Karnataka state has ended as the forest officials have confirmed that the leopard said to be witnessed at the Racecourse road in Belagavi is not a leopard but a ‘Wild Cat’.
It was reported by the morning walkers at this posh area of Belagavi city that a leopard was sighted early morning near the Army Golf course at Camp area two days ago. This news went viral on social media, creating panic among the nearby people. The forest officials had also started the search operation for the leopard.
To catch the leopard, the forest officials have set two traps and six GPS sensor cameras were installed at the golf course area. The infrared, GPS sensor cameras have captured two images of the ‘Wild Cat’ on two occasions. After the three days of the struggle in finding the leopard, the forest officials have cleared that it is a wild car and not a leopard. Deputy Conservator of Forests Harsha Banu, Assistant Conservator of forests MB Kusanal, Range Forest Officer Shivananda Magadum, and Kakati Range Forest Officer Nagaraj Bhimgol have made regular inspections of the golf course and said that it is a wild cat and not a leopard.
It can be recalled that a tiger was sighted at the campus of Visvesvaraya Technological University in 2014 and a leopard was sighted in 2018 at Kudremani village in Belagavi taluk. The sighting of leopards, tigers, sloth bears, tuskers, and other wild animals is common in the forests of Khanapur taluk in Belagavi. Many attacks by the wilds in the Khanapur taluk reported in recent past years.
