Goa to release rescued black panther in Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary

Panaji, April 04 (PTI) A black panther recently rescued from a village in Goa is healthy and efforts are on to install a tracking device on the big cat, officials said on Tuesday. The black panther will be released into the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary in South Goa, they said.

The black panther was rescued on April 1 after a trapping mechanism was set up at Balli village in Quepem, South Goa. A senior forest official told PTI that the forest departments of Goa and Karnataka are working with the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to install a chip-based collar on the big cat to track his movements.

“The health condition of the black panther is good. It is under observation at Bondla zoo (in North Goa),” he said. On Monday, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane took to Twitter to share that they have called in doctors from Karnataka to review the condition of the black panther.

“Officials from Karnataka have also been called to help us install a tracking device on the Black Panther and monitor its movements. The Black Panther will be released into the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary after reviewing its condition. @moefcc @byadavbjp,” he tweeted.