Forest officials at the Buxa Tiger Reserve (reserve forest) in Jalpaiguri trapped an adult cheetah on Friday. The animal was later restored to the core forest area after being treated for minor injuries.

Locals alleged that the big cat often strayed into the areas and picked up goats, dogs and other domestic animals.

“The cheetah often strayed into the nearby habitat and picked up cattle. We employed the traditional way of trapping the animal by luring him with a bait. The animal was a healthy adult and was apparently in search of food,” said Atanu Raha, principal conservator of forests, state forest department.

Forest officials said the animal received minor abrasions on the foot while being caught.

“The animal did not receive any major injury, except for some mild abrasions when it was being trapped. However, we immediately treated the cheetah before releasing him into the core forest area,” Raha said.