Najibabad, Bijnor, September 17, 2025 : After ten days of terror that claimed the lives of three villagers, the elusive leopard prowling the Najibabad Forest Division’s Kaudia Range was finally captured in the early hours of Friday. The high-stakes rescue operation, led by senior forest officials with tranquilizing guns, thermal drones, and a team of nearly 70 personnel, ended when the big cat walked into a trap cage around 2 a.m. near Ishepur village, close to the site of its last fatal attack.
For days, residents of Kandarwali, Nayagaon, and Ishepur villages had lived in fear as the leopard repeatedly targeted vulnerable women and children. Responding to growing panic, Conservator of Forests, Moradabad, had issued a strict ultimatum to capture the animal within three days. On the final night, officials worked tirelessly from dusk until dawn.
The operation began Thursday evening at 8 p.m., with DFOs from Najibabad and Rampur, veterinarians including Dr. Daksh Gangwar from Pilibhit Tiger Reserve and Dr. Nasir from Kanpur Zoo, six Range Officers, and Special Task Forces converging on the area. Equipped with three tranquilizing guns and three thermal drones, teams combed the canal banks and mango orchards where the leopard was sighted around midnight. However, flooding around the canal prevented immediate pursuit.
Persistence paid off two hours later when the animal was lured into a trap cage set up near Ishepur. The capture drew hundreds of curious villagers, and forest officials had to work hard to clear the crowd and transport the animal safely.
Veterinary examination revealed that the leopard, a male estimated to be over 10 years old, had severely worn-down canines—two-thirds of its hunting teeth were eroded. Unable to hunt agile wild prey, it had turned to easier targets such as children and women, explaining its recent spate of attacks.
Given its age and condition, officials confirmed the leopard would not be released back into the wild. Following consultations with the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Lucknow, arrangements are being made to transfer the animal to Kanpur Zoological Park, where it will live out the rest of its life in captivity.
Forest authorities said the rescue mission is part of a larger, ongoing campaign to protect vulnerable communities in the region. “We had pledged to end this cycle of fear, and the leopard’s capture is a major relief for the people,” said a senior official. “But our vigilance will continue, as human-wildlife conflict remains a challenge in forest-fringe villages.”
The dramatic capture closes a tense chapter for the affected villages, where grief, fear, and resilience had marked the past fortnight. For now, life can return to a semblance of normalcy, with the memory of the man-eater’s reign lingering in the collective consciousness of the community.
