THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Panic gripped Varkala on Thursday following reports that a leopard had entered the area. The nerves were calmed only after the Forest Department confirmed it was a wild cat. Soon after the news spread that a leopard was sighted on the roof of a house near SN College, schools and colleges were given a holiday.
It was at 9 am that Sheeja, a housewife, staying behind the SN College, spotted the wild cat on the terrace. She had gone to the terrace to inspect the water tank. But seeing the animal, she mistook it for a leopard and set off an alarm. Soon, the neighbours gathered around. As the news spread, a lot of people from nearby places too reached the spot.
But the cat jumped the college compound and vanished among the bushes. The police were called in immediately and the Forest Department alerted. People joined the police and the Forest Department officers in a thorough search of the whole compound. But there was no trace of the cat. Forest officers have decided to hold a detailed search of the area over the next few days.