Ghaziabad administration deploys drone cameras to track elusive leopard

The Ghaziabad administration has deployed some drone camera in a bid to trace a leopard which disappeared in the sprawling forested area of Ingraham Institute of the city three days ago.

The leopard, which vanished in the forested area after injuring a gardener working in the adjacent campus of the Ghaziabad Development Authority vice chairperson’s office, however, continues to elude the search teams deployed to catch it.

With the big cat staying untraceable, the Ghaziabad administration has cautioned people living in the neighbouring areas of Raj Nagar, Raj Kunj, Shastri Nagar and Kavi Nagar against venturing out in the open alone.

District Magistrate Ajy Shankar Pandey on Thursday appealed to the residents to keep their children and elderly family members inside their houses till the animal is caught.

Meanwhile, intensifying its efforts to catch the leopard, the Forest Department has installed 360-degree CCTV cameras in the Ingraham Institute’s sprawling 65-acre campus and monitoring it round the clock in hope of catching a glimpse of the animal.

The Forest Department teams have also deployed four drones in Rajendra Nagar and adjoining areas to track the leopard and have also kept three cages at various strategic location to trap it, said officials.

DM Pandey said well-trained Forest Department guards have been deputed for night watch in the area.

One tranquillisation gun too has been brought from Saharanpur district and given to them so that in case of an encounter with the big cat, guards may use the gun to tranquilise the animal and catch it.

The leopard was first spotted in Raj Nagar area around 11 am on Tuesday in a CCTV footage.

The big cat first entered the generator house of the GDA VC office and after injuring a gardener there, jumped into the adjoining Ingraham Institute campus and vanished.

The districts key officials like DM and SSP have their official residences in this area.