In the south of India, significant forces were mobilized to capture the leopard, which has been causing panic among local residents since the beginning of August, the BBC reports. After this debacle, the opposition demanded the resignation of India’s forest minister.

For almost a month, Indian authorities have been trying to catch a leopard that has been terrorizing residents of the state of Karnataka.

The first attack by the predatory animal was reported on August 5, when a man was injured but survived and was seen several times wandering around a golf course in Belgaum city.

An entire army, including veterinarians and hunters, more than 300 people, was mobilized to capture the wild animal, but the operation failed.

The issue of unfettered leopard roaming in populated areas of southern India has also sparked a political storm, with the opposition demanding the resignation of Forest Minister Umesh Katti, who said he would relinquish the portfolio if it led to the poaching of the leopard.

The leopard that was searched for with the help of drones, excavators and elephants

Karnataka is home to nearly 1,800 leopards and they have been seen in major cities before, but this was the first time a predatory animal roamed Belgaum and people panicked.

Authorities have installed several surveillance cameras around the golf course to track the leopard’s movements and set up several baited cages in the hope that the capture operation will eventually be successful.

And this despite the fact that more than 300 people inspected the territory three times to find the leopard, which is planned to be tranquilized and relocated to the reserve.

A Ministry of Forests official told the BBC that two elephants had also been hired to monitor the area from above, a drone was flying over the area and people involved in the search climbed into the buckets of excavators to protect themselves from a possible attack. attack.

During the operation, the leopard was spotted twice, but the animal escaped before it could be caught.