A leopard trapped in a cage set up by the state forest department broke out on Monday morning and escaped while injuring a person.

The incident occurred at the Ambari tea estate in Banarhat block of Jalpaiguri district.

Sources said over the past few days residents of the garden had mentioned that a leopard strayed into the garden. The animal had taken away poultry and cattle and also attacked some people, they had said.

Complaints had prompted foresters to install a cage in the garden last week. A goat was put as bait and the cage was set up in the plantation area.

On Monday morning, Chanchal Das, a 53-year-old guard of the tea garden, heard the leopard growling. The leopard had walked into the trap.

As the news spread, people started gathering around the cage. Seeing them, the animal got agitated and started jumping inside the cage. The door of the cage loosened and Chanchal moved ahead to fix it.

Before he could act, the leopard jumped on the cage’s door and it opened. The animal mauled Chanchal on his chest and ran away.

The curious onlookers who had assembled at the spot fled in fear.

Some locals rescued Chanchal and took him to the tea garden’s hospital. Later, he was shifted to the primary health centre in Banarhat where he is still under treatment.

Soon after, foresters from the Diana and Binnaguri forest ranges reached the spot. They examined the cage and started searching for the animal.

“It was an adult leopard. As it jumped inside, the hook opened and it escaped. We are setting up another cage to trap it. The workers and their families have been asked to be on alert,” said Laltu Sardar, a forester who visited the spot.

A senior forester said it is a rare incident. “Leopards often stray into tea gardens and are trapped in cages. It is a rare incident that a leopard has broken the door of a cage,” he said.

The incident has also led to grievances among the residents. “We suspect the cage was in a dilapidated condition and the leopard could break open the door. Forest officials should check the condition of the cage before setting it at the plantations,” said a worker of the tea estate.