Representative image.
Credit: File Photo
Bengaluru: Forest officers on Tuesday trapped and rescued a second leopard from Kambalu Gollarahatti village at the foot of Shivagange Hills in Nelamangala taluk, about 100 metres from the site where a woman was killed by a big cat last week.
The female leopard aged around 7 or 8 years was trapped in a cage and taken to the rescue centre in Bannerghatta.
The development comes a day after a male leopard was rescued from the area and moved to the same rescue centre.
"Similar to the male, the female seems to be healthy save for minor injuries suffered during hunting. There is nothing to suggest that the big cat is unable to hunt. The blood sample of the second leopard has also been given for a DNA analysis," sources in the department said.
The two leopards will be placed at the rescue centre till the DNA analysis report is obtained. "If any of the sample matches with the DNA of the animal that attacked the woman, it will be placed in the Bannerghatta Zoo. The DNA report should help us," another official said.
Meanwhile, officials said considering that Shivagange hills have more leopards, they will not remove the cages near the village. "We suspect that there may be more big cats in the area. We have to be open for the possibility that the DNA samples of both the animals may turnout to be a negative match. Hence, the rescue operation will continue," the source added.