The Forest Department of Karnataka captured a leopard believed to have killed a pilgrim at Male Mahadeshwara Hills. On January 21, Praveen (35), from Mandya district, was attacked near Rangaswamy Vaddu around 5.45 a.m. He died from his injuries. His body was found 100 metres from the attack site. The Forest Department launched a large operation with over 40 staff, including wildlife experts, vets, trackers, and drone teams. Drone surveillance and ground tracking helped locate the leopard. Two cages and camera traps were set up near the spot. The five-year-old male leopard was tranquillised and caught around 8.30 p.m. on January 22. Officials confirmed the animal was healthy. Experts at the Tiger Cell in Aranya Bhavan, Bengaluru verified through stripe patterns and drone footage that this leopard caused the fatal attack. The leopard was moved to the Chamundi Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at Koorgalli for observation following senior forest officials' orders. In response to the attack, Chamarajanagar district's Minister K. Venkatesh held an emergency meeting on January 22. He instructed forest officials to take the issue seriously and improve safety measures. He said, "such incidents should not recur in the future." As a safety step, the district administration banned pilgrim walks and two-wheeler movement on paths leading to the temple from the evening of January 21 until January 24.