HYDERABAD: A WhatsApp video in which a small cat can be seen moving along bushes with the voice of a man claiming to have sighted a “sher ka bachha”(leopard cub) near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad, caught the imagination of many people including the staff at the airport, as the video went viral. However, it turned out to be a false alarm with forest officials saying it was a jungle cat.
Forest officials told Express on receiving the WhatsApp video from airport security authorities, deputed a team of officials to the spot. The team of forest staff from Ranga Reddy district and veterinarian from Hyderabad zoo reached the spot near the airport on Wednesday morning to be stationed there. The veterinarian was ready with a tranquilizing gun, if the animal turns out to be a leopard and action had to be taken.
However, by afternoon as the staff was conducting a recce in the area, the animal was sighted and photographed and it was confirmed to be a jungle cat. The jungle cat is a slightly larger version of the domestic cat, which is commonly found in forest areas across the country. The jungle cat survives on rodents and birds. The RGI Airport is spread over a vast area and there are several green patches surrounding it. The area is home to many peacocks and mammals such as wild boar, hare and jungle cats.