A leopard on the loose in heavily populated areas was tranquillised and rescued from a shop near Jaipur’s Chandpole late on Thursday.
An official said the leopard was spotted hiding inside a shop. “The shopkeeper quickly pulled down the shutter, trapping the animal inside. He then informed the police and forest officials. A rescue operation began at 11pm, and after three hours, the animal was rescued,” said the official.
The presence of the leopard in residential areas sparked panic. The big cat was first seen near Sikar House in Shastri Nagar. CCTV captured it crossing a road in Kalyan Colony and walking across the roof of a house.
Forest department teams launched a search operation around an open plot in Sikar House after analysing multiple CCTV clips. Officials suspected the leopard may have strayed into the densely populated area from the forest belt behind Papad Ke Hanuman Temple or the broader Nahargarh forest region that borders Jaipur.
On Wednesday, the leopard was seen roaming in Vidyadhar Nagar and Panipetch. It was spotted in Civil Lines, a high-security zone housing residences of the chief minister, governor, and state ministers.