A water turf was built in Saidup compartment of Chhipadohar West range where on its fresh plaster came up a leopard to drink water in this turf and the leopard left its front pug marks on the plaster much to the delight of the tiger reserve officials.
Ranger Uma Singh said the turf had fresh plaster and was wet and perhaps when the work was over and the mason and labourer went away from the site up came a leopard late in the evening in search of water and left its pug marks on the fresh plaster which under order of deputy director North division A K Mishra will now be preserved.
The turf was readied only on Friday and filled with water too. A water turf in PTR is like the shape of a saucer ( tashtari) where come the herbivores and the carnivores at different times of morning and evening.
A vet of Birsa Zoo Ranchi Ajay Kumar opined that the pug marks appear to be of a young male leopard.
Uma Singh further said exactly a year back in 2017 in April we had discovered two kids of the leopard abandoned in a cave in this Chhipadohar West range. This range is known for the presence of leopards. The abandoned leopard kids were sent to Birsa Zoo in Ormanjhi where they are growing up and are in good health.