IIT-B resident spots leopard on campus

The campus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has been a haven for all sorts of wild animals, from leopards to crocodiles to wild stray cattle

The campus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has been a haven for all sorts of wild animals, from leopards to crocodiles to wild stray cattle fighting for space. At present, with 90% students off-campus due to the lockdown, it has once again attracted wildlife.

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A resident of the campus on Sunday reported a leopard crossing her path at 6:45pm while she was walking her dog. “The leopard crossed my path near the system controls building. A guard had to chase the leopard away and it coolly walked into the woods,” said Falguni Banerjee Naha, PRO of the institute. She added that the leopard was later also spotted from the terrace of another building the same day.

In the last week of April, residents of the campus reported two sightings of leopards with the college administration within 24 hours this week. The IIT-B campus is spread over 550 acres bordering the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and this has its pros and cons. While students of the institute pride themselves on living so close to nature that sighting deer, various species of birds and cattle, among other animals is a common feature, many have also complained about uninvited and unpleasant guests.

While dog attacks on staff and students, as well as cattle being found inside hostel rooms and classrooms are common, there have also been instances when leopards have entered labs on campus and in another case, a wild bull had attacked a student as well.