The Forest and police personnel have intensified search for the leopard in golf course in the military camp and surrounding areas.
On Saturday, a team of over 250 police and forest personnel entered the golf course. They were armed with weapons and were authorised to shoot at the animal. Forest Department sources said that the decision to send in armed constables was taken due to the continued threat of the wild animal roaming in the city. They are also carrying whistles, crackers, and drums to make sounds to bring out the animal from behind the bushes. Some members of the team are looking for pug marks and another team is studying the images captured in the camera traps. Cages have been placed at some clearings within the course. A similar attempt was made on Friday too.
Panic has spread among residents of the western side of the city after a construction worker complained of being attacked by the leopard in Jadhav Nagar on August 5. The district administration declared a holiday for schools and a search for the wild animal began.
The search has continued despite some residents claiming that the animal has left the golf course.
Another problem that the city police have had to face is the rising number of fake images and videos of leopards claiming to be from Belagavi. People are sharing all sorts of unverified, non-local and even edited images on social media. This is creating panic among residents, morning walkers, and parents of schoolchildren. We appeal to the people not to forward or share unverified images or videos, said Ravindra Gadadi, Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Parents of children at the Vanita Vidyalaya School on club road were worried after rumours about the leopard roaming on the road in front of the school. Later, the city police sent a release, saying it was edited.
