Elusive leopard finally trapped on Hyderabad outskirts

Hyderabad, July 31 (IANS) A leopard, which had created panic on the fringes of Hyderabad during last few days, has been finally trapped on Thursday.

The elusive big cat was trapped in a cage in Manchirevula Eco Trek Park in Rangareddy district on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The Forest Department will shift the animal to Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad.

The leopard was last sighted in Ibrahim Bagh Military Area near Golconda Fort on Monday.

This had created a panic among residents in areas on the city fringes, prompting the Forest Department to install eight trap cameras and four cages. Authorities had advised people in surrounding areas to be on alert.

The same leopard was believed to have been earlier sighted in Manchirevula village inside the sprawling campus of Greyhounds on July 21. Police personnel who spotted the big cat alerted the Forest Department.

It was also believed to have been earlier sighted in Narsingi, sending panic among residents.

The Forest officials have installed trap cameras and cages at different locations in Greyhounds campus, but the leopard apparently left the area without getting trapped and was now moving into the adjoining area.

At least four incidents of leopard sightings have been reported in the city fringes during July.

Early this month, two leopard sightings were reported inside the Research Centre Imarat facility of the Defence Research and Development Organisation in Raviryal. Though the Forest officials initiated immediate steps to confirm the presence of leopards, they did not find any traces. The camera traps have also not captured any images.

Later, another leopard was sighted in Chilukur, near Himayatsagar reservoir. Forest officials had confirmed the presence of the big cat, and the same leopard is believed to have crossed over to the Greyhounds campus and later ventured into the Ibrahim Bagh area.

In May last year, the Forest Department captured a leopard which had appeared on the premises of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad, on the city outskirts.

--IANS

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