Pune : Central Zoo Authority asks report on leopard’s escape 

The eight-year-old male leopard that escaped and was rescued this week from the Wild Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WARRC) close to the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Katraj has been duly noted by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).

The honorary wildlife warden of the Pune Forest Division will be contacted by the authority to provide a comprehensive report on the incident.

The civic garden department, which is in charge of city zoo oversight, received an incident report from the director of the Katraj zoo, and Pune Municipal Corporation has also chosen to look into the matter. They will investigate the best way to assess this situation as soon as they receive the report.

On Monday between 3 am and 9 a.m., the leopard known as “Sachin” broke out of the campus quarantine facility. The large cat was captured by rescuers at 9:15 p.m, after 36 hours of rescue operation on Tuesday after at least nine trap cages were set up over ten acres.

According to the CZA member secretary, they have not yet received an official communication from the zoo authorities, as is customary in these situations. They are going to be demanding an explanation from the zoo administration as to why they were not notified. After receiving the report, they will determine whether further on-site inquiries are required. Should the zoo authorities receive an inadequate response, they will send a warning and advisory.

After two investigations by the forest department, an offense under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, was brought against the director of the same zoo in September of last year for mishandling more than 1,003 animals under custody and for breeding wild animals in captivity without the approval of the CZA.

The secretary went on to say that after comprehending the situation, they will review all issues and take them into consideration again when the facility’s status as a zoo is evaluated every three years.