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Journalism of Courage
Deputy conservator of forest (territorial) Dipika Bajpai has brushed aside the rumours that a leopard has escaped from a zoo in Karnataka’s Gadag and clarified that the one spotted on the Binkadakatti highway was a wild one that must have come from nearby forests.
In the last two days, a video of a leopard sighted on Gadag Binkadakatti road has gone viral triggering speculations on social media that the animal had escaped from a zoo in Gadag, Bajpai clarified that the forest department has carried out combing operations and is keeping a close watch on the development.
In the 57-second video, a leopard is seen sitting on the roadside while vehicles are passing around it. Since the leopard did not charge at the vehicles it was believed that the wild animal might have been injured in an accident.
“There are rumours doing the rounds that a leopard has escaped from Gadag zoo and was seen on the highway near Binkadakatti. This is to inform that no leopard has escaped and all are safe inside their enclosures. The leopard sighted and video-graphed on the highway is a wild one and must have come from nearby forest areas. We have carried out a thorough combing operation along with the veterinarian and zoo team. The animal may find its way back,” she said.
According to forest officials, the leopard has escaped back into the forest. They believe that the leopard might have been in a state of shock.
“We have checked the spot and do not believe that the leopard got injured in an accident. It must have been in a state of shock,” a forest official said.
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