The Gujarat forest department launched a search operation after a leopard was spotted inside a residential society in Ghuma, in south Ahmedabad, in the early hours of Monday.
Latest Update
Officials said their immediate priority was to safely capture the animal and release it in a suitable forest habitat.
“Our objective is that a human being and a carnivore cannot live together in this kind of situation. We are trying to capture the animal and release it in a safe forest area,” Ramesh said.
Details
Two people who spotted the animal alerted their neighbours, following which residents checked their society’s CCTV cameras and confirmed the sighting. The animal was captured on CCTV around 2 am near the entrance of Sharandeep Society on Ghuma VIP Road in Ahmedabad, officials said.
The forest department was informed early on Monday morning, and a video of the leopard moving through the residential premises has since been shared on social media.
Forest officials said they verified the footage after inspecting the spot and found physical evidence confirming the leopard’s presence. Officials said the animal is believed to have lifted and partly eaten a chicken from a nearby poultry unit before spending close to 10 minutes in the parking area and then jumping back out.
“We found feathers in the parking lot and pug marks around the area, including on the compound wall,” Chief Conservator of Forests, Ahmedabad, K. Ramesh said.
Forest staff have been deployed to trace the animal, while three trap cages have been installed at locations where officials believe it is most likely to move.
“Leopards, like lions and tigers, are largely nocturnal. The chances of capturing it are higher after sunset. We have placed our trap cages at the best possible locations,” Ramesh said.
He appealed to residents to cooperate with the forest department and avoid gathering at places where the animal may be sighted. “A leopard will not enter a cage if there is a commotion around it. If people cooperate, the chances of a safe capture go up,” he said.
“Let us not forget that 10 years ago there was no Ahmedabad. It was farmland. The city has since expanded into that area. As housing societies came up, there are CCTV cameras around, and we came to know. Earlier also, they might have been venturing into those areas,” he added.
No injuries or attacks were reported till Monday evening. Forest officials said the search operation would continue until the leopard was safely captured and relocated.
According to the forest department’s last statewide census in 2023, Gujarat’s leopard population stood at 2,274, up 63% from 1,395 in 2016. The census had also recorded the first-ever leopard sighting within Ahmedabad city limits.
