Key Points
Leopard invaded wedding venue with 203 guests present
Forest officials conducted complex rescue operation
Dense forest area likely caused animal's straying
One forest staff member injured during rescue
The feline made its entry at 11.40 PM on Wednesday, after which, the forest officials rescued the leopard after four hours. SDO Mohanlalganj and three doctors arrived immediately at the venue.
Lucknow Divisional Forest Officer Sitanshu Pandey said, "It took almost 4.5 hours to rescue the leopard from the MM Lawn Guest House. SDO Mohanlalganj and three doctors arrived here immediately. Around 203 people were present at the venue. One person from the forest staff was also injured, and he has also received treatment."
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Because of the dense forest around the area, the leopard strayed into the wedding venue. "There is a huge dense forest above Malihabad, which has mango trees. Beyond that, there are also Lakhimpur Kheri, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. Since the leopard is an agile animal, it could have come from anywhere," Pandey said.
Recently, five people were injured in a leopard attack in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich. The injured were rushed to a local hospital for treatment. The incident took place in Bargadwa village on February 7.
Katarniaghat Bahraich, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) B Shivshankar, told ANI, "A leopard injured five people, and our staff took them to the hospital--three are being treated, and two have been referred for further care."
"Regarding the human-wildlife conflict, the forest department advises people not to go alone into sugarcane fields or leave meat or livestock outside. Leopards tend to avoid groups, so staying in pairs or groups can help prevent attacks," the DFO added.
