Another Leopard Captured on Thursday along the Alipiri Tirumala Footpath

In a significant development for trekking pilgrims, another leopard was captured on Thursday along the Alipiri – Tirumala footpath, alleviating concerns over wild animal attacks in the area. This comes in the wake of a tragic incident on August 12th when a six-year-old girl was mauled by a leopard. The capture took place early Thursday, with the wild cat being trapped in a specially prepared cage near the Elephant Arch, close to the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple on the footpath. Following the girl’s attack, traps and cages were strategically set up along the footpath. Forest officials, who led the operation, noted that the captured leopard is a fully grown adult displaying a high level of ferocity. This latest capture marks the fifth leopard captured in the region over the past two months. TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, addressing the media, assured the public that ‘Operation Leopard‘ will persist until normalcy is restored in the area. He stressed that the primary focus remains on ensuring pilgrim safety, while concurrent efforts to locate and capture any other stalking leopards will also continue.