Mundur: Forest Department officials rescued a leopard and a wild boar from a pit inside the Arumani forest at Meppadam on Monday.
The animals fell into the 10-feet pit while the leopard chased a sounder of wild swine. While the rosetted big cat and a boar were rescued, two pigs died in the pit.
A team of forest watchers was carrying out the maintenance work of a solar-powered electric fence, erected to keep wild elephants at bay, when they heard sounds from the pit around 11 am. On checking, they found the trapped predator and the animals of prey.
About two hours later, the leopard clambered up a ladder the watchers had lowered into the pit before making a dash for the nearby reserve forest. The wild boar that was still alive, too, was rescued.
Officials explained that the animals were not tranquilised since the pit was inside the forest. The carcass of one of the dead boars had injuries, apparently inflicted by the leopard.
Though several people arrived at the scene on learning about the incident, none of them were allowed close to the pit. The pit was near to human habitation, including the Adivasi Colony at Meppadam.
