A suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident of a rare black leopard getting trapped in a snare near the Laxapana tea estate in Nallathanniya, the Wildlife Conservation Department said.
The suspect was to be produced before the Hatton Magistrate’s Court today.
The suspect is an employee at a nearby vegetable cultivation.
The injured animal is being treated at the Udawalawa elephant veterinary hospital, the Department officials said.
According to wildlife officials, the wounded black leopard is an 8-year-old well-grown male. The animal had been ensnared near a vegetable plot in the upper section of the estate. It was tranquilized and taken away by wildlife officers on Tuesday afternoon for treatment.
The black leopard has been a mystery for many years as sightings have been very rare due to the very low population and the solitary nature of the animals.
Until recent, the black leopard was thought to be extinct in Sri Lanka as conservationists have been unable to find any evidence for them in the wild. However, new evidence of their existence was found in January this year.