Mandya: Forest department personnel successfully captured a leopardess on Friday morning, days after her three cubs were found at a sugarcane field near Bhutanahosuru village in Mandya taluk.The incident came to light on March 18, when local farmers Devayya and Mahadeva spotted the three cubs, estimated to be just a few months old, on their farmland. Alarmed by their presence, the farmers alerted the forest department. Acting swiftly, the officials reached the spot and safely took custody of the cubs. In an effort to reunite them with their mother and prevent any potential human-wildlife conflict, the cubs were placed inside a cage at the same location overnight to lure the leopardess.The strategy proved effective, as their mother was found trapped in the cage early on Friday morning without any harm. Forest officials ensured that the operation was conducted carefully to avoid stress or injury to the animals.The rescue operation was carried out under the supervision of deputy conservator of forests Raghu and assistant conservator of forests Mahadeva. The team was led by range forest officer Shailaja and included deputy range forest officer Kumar.
