Wayanad: The leopard that had been troubling the residents of Pulinchal in Cheeral was caught in a cage laid by the forest department late on Tuesday.

The residents of the village had called for an immediate capture of the leopard, which had been roaming in and out of human settlements for several months. Apart from spreading panic and terror among the residents, the animal also killed a calf belonging to Kadanthodan Saidalavi on Tuesday morning.

South Wayanad DFO Ajit K Raman told Onmanorama that the leopard is a one-year-old male. The forest department team, including veterinarians, transferred the animal to the Animal Hospices Centre and Palliative Care unit at Kuppadi. "A team of experts would examine the animal and decide how to deal with it later", he said. 

When asked about the recurring wildlife attacks in the area, Ajit K Raman said that the Vedanthode plantation in the locality has become a safe haven for wildlife, as it is almost abandoned. "We don't know how many leopards are nestling in the plantation", he added. However, he declined to comment on the capacity of the animal hospice, which is reportedly almost at full capacity.

It is believed that the trapped animal has some incapacity to hunt down wild animals, which forced it to focus on cattle. If the animal is healthy, it would be transferred to another habitat, such as a biological park or zoo. If it is unhealthy, treatment would be provided, sources said.