BENGALURU: Uncertainty and panic are reigning among Bengalureans, especially those residing on the city outskirts. At least eight sightings of leopards on the fringes of Bengaluru have been reported in the last few days. These are from areas like Turahalli state forest, near Sompura (near Turahalli), Devanahalli, Kengeri, Ramanagara, Kanakapura, Chikkaballapur and Doddaballapur, which have been confirmed by the forest department officials.
The residents, in a state of fear, have been sharing messages on each others’ whereabouts, asking to be cautious because of increased spottings of leopards in these areas. Villagers near Gati forest, 6-7 km from Nandi forest, have complained to forest department officials about a calf killed on Thursday night. The forest officials admitted that the incident is not a regular affair. Leopard sightings are being reported from Nelamangala too.
The fear of the leopards is such that on Friday morning, a wedding in Kengeri received very poor guest attendance due to the threat of being intercepted by the spotted felines. The families of the bride and groom had made arrangements for around 2,000 guests after taking a loan of over Rs 3 lakh. But less than 500 people turned up, fearing leopard movement in the vicinity.
Moreover, traffic on NICE Road has taken a hit. Besides, the daily routine of people living on the city outskirts has been affected. Office-goers have rescheduled their timings and, in some areas, shop owners refuse to open their establishments after sunset and early morning hours.
A senior forest official told The New Indian Express, “There are around 1,500- 2,000 acres of forest and green patch around Bengaluru, which also includes ‘gomala’ lands (cattle grazing lands) and reserve forest patches. These areas house leopards, but with increased city expansion and rising leopard population, the sightings too have gone up.”
“It must be noted the sightings are at different locations and on different days. They have also increased with the increased presence of CCTV cameras which people put up in their properties. On an average, visuals of at least one or two leopards are being captured by the department across the state daily,” the forest official said.
In the case of Turahalli, the official said the leopard killed a deer inside the forest patch, which is normal. Senior forest officials on Friday visited the Turahalli forest patch and surrounding areas to assess the situation and instill confidence among people. However, they rubbished a viral video of a leopard attacking two women, which was mistaken to be in Bengaluru, and clarified that it was in Uttarakhand. Chief Conservator of Forests, Bengaluru, SS Lingaraj, said the leopard population is on the rise across the state.
“Whenever there is news, the teams comb the area and keep cages. We have been capturing leopards and relocating them to safer habitats. We request people not to panic, but stay cautious. We request them not to fall prey to rumours, but to contact the department for accurate news and report to us directly of any sightings or signs instead of taking to social media.”
Foresters look to catch, shoot leopard
The forest department, which had issued a shoot-at-sight order for the elusive leopard that had killed a young woman in Sosale Kebbehundi village in T Narasipura taluk this week, has launched a combing operation to capture or shoot the feline on Friday.