A female leopard was safely rescued from a dangerous hunting foot trap in a sugarcane field at Nangaon village in Daund taluka of Pune district in Maharashtra, officials said on Friday.

The rescue operation was carried out by joint efforts of the Pune Forest Department and RESQ CT Team.

This is the third instance of a leopard being found caught in a hunting foot trap in the Daund region over the past three years, raising serious concerns about the continued use of such unlawful and dangerous methods, an official said.