Shimla/Solan
A four-year-old female leopard was rescued after being found trapped in an illegal snare at the campus of Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Solan district, officials said on Sunday.
The animal was first spotted by alert university staff, who immediately informed the forest authorities. Acting on the directions of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Solan, a team from the Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre Tutikandi under the Shimla Wildlife Division rushed to the spot.
Led by a wildlife veterinarian, the Rapid Rescue Team carried out a carefully coordinated operation. The leopard was tranquilised to ensure safe handling and was later freed from the snare wire. Officials said the animal had sustained minor injuries due to the trap.
Following the rescue, the leopard was shifted to the RRC Tutikandi in Shimla, where veterinary experts are closely monitoring its condition. Authorities confirmed that the animal will be released back into the wild once it fully recovers and is declared fit.
Officials also highlighted that the Tutikandi rescue centre, functioning under the Wildlife Wing of the Forest Department, has carried out nearly 350 rescue operations over the past three years, rehabilitating injured and distressed wild animals.
The incident once again underscores the ongoing threat of illegal snaring in forest areas, even as swift action by wildlife teams helped save the animal’s life.
