Leopard sighted in Ishwarpur rescued

Kolhapur: A leopard that strayed into a residential locality in old Ishwarpur town of Sangli district was rescued on Monday after a seven-hour operation by the forest department and wildlife rescuers.The leopard, believed to have wandered from nearby sugar cane fields, was first spotted hiding under a parked car outside a house. Disturbed by crowds gathering at the spot, the animal moved around the locality before settling in a bush by evening.Wildlife rescue teams launched an operation and called in tranquiliser expert Amit Kumbhar from Kolhapur. Kumbhar successfully darted the leopard, following which rescuers secured the animal in a net and shifted it to a metal transport cage.