Jaipur, Nov 27 (PTI) Panic gripped Shastri Nagar and adjoining localities in Jaipur on Thursday after a leopard was spotted for the second consecutive day in the area, adding to the recent string of big cat incursions in the city.
CCTV footage showed the leopard crossing a road in Kalyan Colony, and on the rooftop of a house near Sikar House area on Wednesday night.
Panic-stricken residents remained indoors on Thursday while dedicated teams of the forest department scanned the area to locate the leopard, but it could not be traced.
The forest department launched the search operation soon after the footage surfaced, officials said.
The locality where the leopard was sighted is close to the Swarn Jayanti Park and the animal is suspected to have entered the residential areas from the Nahargarh forest which is in the vicinity, they added.
A night before, a leopard was spotted in Vidhyadhar Nagar area where it had reportedly killed a calf. Later in the day, the bit cat was sighted in Panipech area but could not be rescued.
“Today’s sighting indicates that the leopard is moving around the populated area. We have been searching the animal at all possible places. Pugmarks have been found but the leopard has not been spotted,” an official said.
He said local residents have been alerted, and asked to remain cautious and indoors.
Vidyadhar Nagar residents said, on Tuesday night, dogs in the locality barked incessantly and a calf was found dead in the morning. Meanwhile, CCTV footage from the area confirmed the movement of the leopard.
“There has been panic in the area due to leopard movement. Its dangerous to go out, therefore we are mostly staying indoors. Nobody knows where the leopard might be, it could be hiding in any house,” Vijay Khandelwal, a Shastri Nagar resident told PTI.
Last week, a leopard was spotted in Jaipur’s high-security Civil Lines area, moving inside a minister’s bungalow and later a school before it was tranquillised and rescued by the forest department.
Jaipur has two major leopard habitats — the Jhalana forest and the Nahargarh forest areas. Forest officials estimate several dozen leopards inhabit these forested areas, situated near the city limits.
Experts attribute the repeated leopard sightings in urban areas to rising leopard population, shrinking game for the predator along the forest fringes, and rapid urban expansion near the forest areas.
Localities adjoining the forested belt, including Malviya nagar, Jagatpura, Vidyadhar Nagar, Shastri Nagar and Jaisinghpura, have increasingly reported leopard movement.
Earlier, leopards have been sighted inside the Rajasthan university campus, and at the Smriti Van in Jaipur, prompting its closure for several days as a precaution.
“Territory pressure and easy access to stray animals often bring leopards closer to human habitation,” a senior forest official said.
The forest department has urged residents to stay cautious, avoid isolated movement during the early hours, and report any sighting immediately. PTI SDA ARB ARB
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