More leopard 'sightings' in Whitefield

Whitefield was abuzz on Tuesday with rumours and ‘sightings’ of another one in the area.

Two days after the >dramatic capture of a leopard in a school in Varthur, Whitefield was abuzz on Tuesday with rumours and ‘sightings’ of another one in the area.

Around noon, Veeranna, a security guard at Nallurhalli, had gone to the fields nearby when he saw a creature that he claimed resembled a leopard.

“When I was walking in the field, a woman came rushing out saying a leopard is nearby. I went towards the spot and saw a leopard around 60 metres away. It went away,” he told

The Hindu . ‘Pug marks’ were also reportedly found in wet mud in the area.

As news of the sightings spread, residents went into a tizzy, with police and Forest Department officials saying

t hey received numerous calls of the sighting.

Barely five kilometres away from Nellurhalli – where a large number of grassland plots lie awaiting construction – is Vibgyor High, Marathahalli.

Nearly 50 officials had been involved in a 10-hour operation in the school to capture a stray leopard on Sunday. Soon, a bevy of policemen and forest officials were patrolling the area.

However, Forest Department officials said there were no signs of a leopard.

The pug marks, for instance, they said, could be that of a dog. Nevertheless, they would camp in the area. Residents have been told to be cautious.

G.S. Kariyappa, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), said, “With the capture of the leopard at Vibgyor, the chances of another leopard so close by is slim. But, we are not taking any chances and have advised residents to remain vigilant and inform the department if there are any more sightings.”

Similarly, Deputy Conservator of Forests Dipika Bajpai said the department is contemplating camera traps in the area to check for movement of leopards.