Leopard goes berserk in residential area

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, SEPT. 21. An adult leopard strayed into a densely populated area here today and entered a house making its occupants and the public run for safety. Five persons were injured in the incident as the bewildered animal ran around in confusion with all escape routes cut off by a vast crowd witnessing the spectacle from a close quarters.

The leopard was first noticed around 7.30 a.m. beside a small rock formation surrounded by thick vegetation on the campus of a college in Gokulam. It is suspected that the animal stayed there at night after straying from the Yelwal-Arabithittu region which has developed into an ideal habitat for leopards.

The animal was moving around in an excited state and a large crowd gathered there. A group of students and a few others tried to trap it using a volleyball net but they were repulsed by a mighty swipe of its paws. A couple of them were injured in the process.

Having realised that it was sighted, the leopard ran in all directions and finally stopped near the compound wall of the college. When the crowd began to close in, the leopard jumped out and landed on an open land barricaded with a metal fence. For a moment or two, people lost sight of the animal, which by then entered a bush and camouflaged itself. A few persons tried to irritate the animal and even threw stones at the animal rather than allowing the Forest Department personnel and police to handle the situation.

The enraged leopard jumped out of the bush and took a swipe at the crowd injuring the driver of Garuda-4 patrol squad, Mr. Shivarudrappa. The leopard crawled back to its position once again. But it emerged after some time and pounced on another group injuring two persons.

By then, the animal strayed within 50 yards of the houses. The leopard sprinted in the direction of a house and went straight inside through the open front door. The inmates, Mr. Nagaraj and Ms. Shantamma, rushed out in panic and an alert constable bolted the doors from outside.

A few constables, who climbed to the terrace, removed the asbestos sheet and found the leopard trying to hide in the bathroom. But it found its way into the living room and went under a table and stayed put in that place. The veterinary doctors were summoned by the Forest Department officials and three tranquilisers were fired at the leopard. One of them found its mark.

The officials and police waited for some time for the tranquiliser to take effect. A cage was placed near the entrance of the room and a rope was tied to the leopard's hind legs to immobilise it fully.

It was shifted to the zoo where an antidote was administered to neutralise the effect of the tranquiliser. The Forest Department officials say the leopard measured around six feet in length and was more than two feet in height. It is reckoned to be around eight to 10 years of age. It will be shifted to Nagarahole or to its surrounding forest regions.

Though it is not clear how the leopard strayed into the area, senior Forest Department officials said the Chamundi Hill-Yelwal- Arabhithittu arc abounded in leopards. ``The vast tracts of land in the Mandya National Paper Mill Factory on K. R. S. Road have been covered by vegetation following the closure of the factory last year. The site has developed into an ideal leopard habitat, and it is suspected that a leopard had even given birth to a litter in the factory site,'' according to Mr. M. N. Jayakumar, Conservator of Forests.

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Section  : Southern States
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