Bhubaneswar, Dec 27: A leopard trapped in a hunter’s snare was rescued by the forest department after seven days in Kokodi village, located in the Torangia buffer zone of the Udanti Sitanadi forest along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border.

According to reports, a hunter had set up a snare using a bike clutch wire in the forest, hoping to catch prey. The leopard, while passing through the area, got caught and was unable to move. Villagers, who spotted the trapped animal, immediately informed the forest authorities.

The forest department surveyed the leopard’s condition using a drone, and under the supervision of SDO Gopal Kashyap, the animal was safely rescued. After receiving primary medical care, the leopard has been admitted to the Jungle Safari Hospital and is currently in stable condition.

The hunter has been apprehended, and the Chhattisgarh Forest Department has announced a reward of ₹10,000 for information. Surveillance cameras installed in the forest have helped the anti-poaching team arrest 19 hunters in the past seven days. The investigation into the animal’s capture and those responsible is ongoing.