Leopard terror: Panic after big cats spotted on RCI, Vignyanakancha campus

Hyderabad: Panic gripped the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in Vignyanakancha on Friday after two leopards were sighted inside its premises.

It prompted Defence Laboratories School to issue an urgent safety advisory asking parents not to let their children step out alone under any circumstances.

School issues urgent advisory

In an official notice, the school management urged all parents to take utmost care and remain alert until further orders are issued. Defence authorities and the school said they were closely monitoring the situation to ensure children’s safety and prevent any untoward incidents.

Leopard movement reported in Mahbubnagar

Meanwhile, forest officials in Mahbubnagar district are searching for a leopard that has been visiting a large garbage dump near Veerannapet in Mahbubnagar Urban mandal over the past few days.

“The dump attracts stray dogs, and the leopard likely entered the area to hunt a dog,” district forest officer (DFO) S. Satyanarayana said.

No attacks reported, residents alerted

DFO Satyanarayana clarified that the leopard has not harmed anyone so far, but precautionary measures have been taken to alert villagers living nearby. On Thursday, a meeting was held by the district collector, superintendent of police, and forest officials to review the situation and plan further action.

Trap cage and camera traps installed

Residents first reported spotting the leopard on a hill near their village four days ago. Following the complaints, forest officials placed a trap cage with bait in the area and installed camera traps to capture its movement.

Drone survey yields no trace.

“A drone fitted with a camera was flown over the area and surrounding forests on Thursday, but no trace of the leopard was found,” Satyanarayana said. He added that the area was part of a reserve forest, part of which was de-reserved a few years ago, moving wild animals like leopards naturally.

Healthy leopard population in region

Mahbubnagar district has nearly 10,000 hectares of contiguous forest land, including the Mayuri Eco Park, where leopards are frequently sighted by visitors on safaris.

“Efforts over the past few years to ensure round-the-year water availability using solar-powered borewells and translocating deer from nearby parks to strengthen the prey base are paying off. We believe there are a few female leopards with cubs in the forest now,” Satyanarayana said.