Panic grips Ludhiana as leopard spotted in posh locality

After being alerted by the society management, forest department and police personnel initiated an operation to trace the leopard

Panic gripped Centra Greens, a posh residential society at Pakhowal road, after residents sopped a leopard roaming around on Friday. The leopard was also caught in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed in the society. Even after a day-long search, the leopard is yet to be traced.

Forest and police officials at Centra Greens Colony after sighting of a leopard in Ludhiana on Friday. (Manish/HT)

After being alerted by the society management, forest department and police personnel initiated an operation to trace the leopard. In the evening, the forest department placed cages with bait to catch the wild animal. Forest officials found the pug-marks of leopard in nearby areas and alerted the residents.

Pritpal Singh, forest and wildlife officer, Ludhiana range, said that after the society’s management alerted the district administration, a team inspected the area but the leopard was yet to be traced.

He added that animals such as leopards, sambhar and deer usually start moving towards plains when it starts snowing in the hills in the northern region. Leopards easily cover 100 to 200 km in a night and it was possible that it has moved out from the colony by now, he said, adding that the residents should still be cautious.

Soon after the sighting of the big cat, the society management issued an advisory to the residents to stay indoors. The management alerted the residents to keep their pets inside as well and only step out if absolutely necessary.

The officer added that they had searched the basements and other probable spots in the society where there was a possibility for the animal to hide.

“We have installed a cage with meat as bait at the location where it was spotted. It might visit the place again in the night to search for food,”he said.

He advised the residents to ensure that children or pets do not step out of homes in the night, as the leopard might attack the if it is hungry. He added that leopards don’t usually attack adults.