BENGALURU: Leopard droppings found in one of the goods train coaches which arrived a few days ago at the Rail Wheel Factory (RWF) campus — well within the city limits — indicates that the female leopard, which is still on the prowl within the RWF campus or surrounding areas, came there riding a goods train.
A forest official, privy to the developments pertaining to efforts to capture the leopard, said, “Many coaches come to RWF for repairs or to even pass by. The leopard could have sneaked into one such train. The railway teams have found leopard droppings in one of the coaches. But from where did the leopard come into the coach remains to be ascertained.”
The RWF campus is surrounded by busy roads and urban spaces. The probable forests from where it could have come are Doddaballapur, KR Puram and Kaggalipura, which are far away. Though the RWF campus is large and has mini-forest patches, these are not leopard habitats. The only way it could have come into the campus is on a goods train, the official reasoned.
Another official said, “Leopards easily adapt to urban environments and have been living in close proximity with human habitations. Since forest habitats have shrunk and the nearest forests that can sustain leopards are far away, it would not have been easy for this leopard to come into the RWF campus.”
Trap set up, but leopard still elusive
For the staffers, the case is also unique as they are not clear if the leopard is pregnant or has littered cubs in the vicinity. The chances of her falling for the bait (beef and mutton and a live goat) is also grim as the area has sufficient street dogs, which are leopards’ favourite prey.
If the female leopard already has made a kill and is feeding on it, they will have to wait long for her to take the bait. Meanwhile, an alert has been sounded and residents on the campus have been told not to venture out at night, especially when the leopard was sighted again on Sunday night near the trap set up by forest staffers camping at the spot.
But the leopard did not enter the cage, where beef and mutton as well as a live goat had been kept as bait. Residents have been told to move in groups, if necessary, with a stick or a torch and make noises while moving.