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3-week quarantine turns into 9-year wait for two leopards
Published : Sunday, 4 October, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Two leopards brought to Gazipur Safari Park at just one-and-a-half months old for a three-week quarantine have spent nearly nine years in the same small enclosure.
Now, after years of waiting, a separate enclosure is finally being planned for them at a cost of Tk 67.5 lakh.
The two leopards were rescued from a vehicle during a police operation in Chanchra area of Jashore Sadar on November 13, 2017. Two lion cubs were also rescued from the vehicle.
The four cubs were later brought to Gazipur Safari Park and placed in a quarantine shed as required for newly arrived animals.
The quarantine was supposed to last only three weeks. The two lion cubs were later moved to the safari park, but the leopards remained in the quarantine shed.
The leopards were only about one-and-a-half months old when they were rescued. They have since grown up without a dedicated enclosure where they could climb, move around and display natural behaviour.
Gazipur Safari Park acting officer Tarek Rahman said on Sunday that a 150-square-metre enclosure would be built for the two leopards under the Essential Management Project of the safari park.
He said Tk 67.5 lakh had been allocated for the enclosure in the 2026-27 fiscal year.
The proposed enclosure will include climbing facilities, a water source and a night shelter. Natural trees will be used if possible, while artificial trees will be installed if necessary.
Tarek said a feasibility assessment was currently under way to determine the location of the enclosure. Whether it will be opened to visitors will be decided after the site is finalised.
The project was included in the safari park’s Essential Management Project, which began in 2024, he said.
For nearly nine years, the two leopards have remained largely out of visitors’ view. The proposed enclosure could finally give them more space and an environment closer to their natural habitat.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
