Man Gets Trapped in Leopard Cage After Entering Baited Wildlife Trap in Uttar Pradesh

Forest officials in Uttar Pradesh experienced an unexpected twist when their leopard trap captured a local man instead of the intended wild predator. The incident, which occurred on Thursday night in Bahraich district, quickly became a viral sensation on social media platforms.

The metal cage had been strategically positioned near a village bordering the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. This precaution followed the tragic death of Shanti Devi, a 55-year-old woman who fell victim to a leopard attack on Wednesday evening. Following standard protocol, officials had placed a goat inside the cage as bait to attract the dangerous big cat.

The unexpected captive was identified as Pradeep, a local villager. According to reports, Pradeep was under the influence of alcohol when he made the unfortunate decision to enter the trap designed for the leopard.

Upon stepping into the cage, the automatic door mechanism was triggered, immediately closing and securing him inside the animal trap intended for the wild predator.

A video shared on social media shows a man trapped in a cage in Bahraich, with the caption explaining that he was accidentally caught in a trap meant for a leopard late at night, which has now gone viral across various platforms.

Different accounts have emerged regarding the motivation behind Pradeep's entry into the cage. Forest officials suspect he may have been attempting to steal the goat used as bait, with the trap door closing when he tried to enter or pull the animal. However, Pradeep offered a different explanation, claiming he was merely "checking on the situation" when dizziness overcame him, resulting in his accidental entrapment.

Once trapped, Pradeep called for help and used his mobile phone to alert nearby villagers. The village head was promptly informed and subsequently contacted both the Forest Department and local police authorities.

A joint rescue operation involving forest officials and police officers was immediately dispatched to the location. The team spent approximately two hours working carefully to safely extract Pradeep from the metal cage.