A leopard that had strayed out of the Gorumara National Park in Jalpaiguri district was stuck in the barbed wire fence of a tea plantation on Friday.

The animal was rescued by forest department personnel. The leopard turned out to be a new attraction for tourists visiting Gorumara and neighbouring areas.

Residents of Kayetpara, a locality near Dakshin Dhupjhora in Matiali block, spotted the leopard trapped in the fence.

The village is located on the fringes of Gorumara and leopards often stray there and tea plantations to deliver cubs and catch easy prey.

Teams from Dhupjhora forest beat and the wildlife squad stationed in Khunia reached the spot. People from neighbouring areas, including tourists staying in places like Lataguri and Batabari, started swarming the village to see the leopard and click its photos.

The foresters asked the onlookers to maintain a safe distance so that they weren’t harmed by the leopard if it wriggled out of the barbed wires on its own. Matiali police also arrived to control the crowd.

Initially, the foresters covered the site with a net but it took time to dart the animal. Eventually, the leopard was tranquilised. The foresters wrapped the animal in the net and managed to put it in a vehicle.

“The animal has been taken to the nature interpretation centre in Lataguri. There, it will be kept under the observation of vets and will be released into the wild in due course,” said Sajal Kumar Dey, the range officer of the Khunia wildlife squad.

After the incident, residents of Kayetpara have demanded that the forest department increase vigil inthe area.

“We suspect that somemore leopards have strayed into the area. The department should place cages to trap leopards,” said a villager.