Hyderabad: Leopard spotted on city outskirts escapes to forest area

A leopard, which was spotted on a road on the city outskirts triggering panic among local residents and motorists, has moved to a nearby forest area, Telangana forest officials said on Friday.

The forest personnel continued their operation at a private farmhouse with the help of the local police to capture the wild animal, and found its pugmarks, an official press release said.

The operation began on Thursday. Drones and close circuit cameras were used to locate the big cat. After finding the pugmarks, the officials tracked the leopards movements with the help of the police dog squad.

They found that the leopard had left for the forest area near Chilkur in neigbouring Ranga Reddy district. It was also learnt that the cameras installed in the farmhouse showed that animals which can become food for the leopard existed there.

Estimating that the leopard might come there again for food, the officials decided to continue setting up cages and the cameras. A special supervisory team and a rescue group would be put in place.

The forest officials added that measures would be taken to see that the leopard does not enter the city and that surveillance would be maintained at the Chilkur forest area.

Local residents would also be alerted should the need arise. The leopard was spotted on a road on the city outskirts on Thursday, triggering panic among locals and motorists.

According to forest officials, the feline, which appeared to be injured, was seen lying beside the median of a Road Under Bridge (RUB) in Mailardevpally area.

It later escaped into the private farm following which a team of forest and police personnel launched an operation to capture and safely relocate the wild animal.

The team reached the spot after receiving information that the animal had strayed into the city from nearby forest area. The forest officials had rescued a civet from Golconda area in the city on Wednesday and shifted it to the Nehru Zoological Park.