MYSURU: Foresters have launched combing operations to trace and trap two leopards which were found prowling inside the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) campus by a security guard in the early hours of Wednesday. The foresters have installed camera traps and laid cages to trap the big cats.
The leopards were sighted by security guard Prabhakar, who was guarding the campus near the school building. Prabhakar said he was on night duty near the school, which is opposite to Cheluvamba Park, when he noticed two leopards moving close to the entrance gate at 1.30 am.
“Initially, I did not believe they were leopards. They were moving just 50 metres away from me. I immediately closed the gates and ran towards another entrance gate and informed my colleague. We later informed our supervisor at 6 am. I had seen the leopards only in the zoo, but in the open, it was the first time I saw them. I was initially frightened as I joined duty just two months back at CFTRI,” he said.
CFTRI in-charge director Satish said it is for the first time that leopards were sighted inside the campus. “We informed the police and forest department. We also directed the school head to declare a holiday for children. As the institute was earlier a palace, there is a vast forest area on campus. After the incident, we have planned to install night vision cameras to detect any wildlife inside the campus,” he said.
Meanwhile, a forest team led by ACF Lakshmikanth and RFO Surendra inspected the 150-acre forest area inside the campus to trace pug marks or scat. They also inspected the unoccupied staff quarters, suspecting that the leopards might have taken shelter.
Speaking to TNIE, in-charge DCF (Wildlife) D Mahesh Kumar said, “A dedicated team will be deployed. We have not found any pug marks or scat during the combing operation, which has been launched based on the sighting of the guard. Hence, people should not panic.”