Catymology

Got leopards? Get out your cell phone and download some ringtones. Reuters reports on the humane way to lure leopards into traps:

AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - Forest guards in western India are using cell phones with ringtones of cows mooing, goats bleating and roosters crowing to attract leopards that have wandered into human settlements, officials said on Monday.

The wild cats in the state of Gujarat often roam into villages near forests in search of food, say officials, adding that this results in attacks on people.

But rather than use methods such as live bait like goats tied to trees to lure the leopards, which then fall into large pits dug by guards, officials say they have found a safer method to trap the cats.

"The moos of a cow, bleating of a goat from the phone has proved effective to trap leopards," said D. Vasani, a senior forest official in Gujarat. "This trick works."

The leopards are trucked far away from inhabited areas and released in the forest.

Let's just hope that the leopards don't start retaliating by downloading ringtones that appeal to humans. All they'd have to do is check the latest hot ringtones at Billboard.com. I'd recommend something like Rascal Flatt's "What Hurts the Most." Raarrr!

Labels: wildcats

# posted by Aloysius @ 10:24 AM