Leopard scare continues in Shamshabad

The latest episode of leopard in Shamshabad continues to grip villagers with fear, patrolling to continue in the area for the next few days.

Hyderabad: Three days after locals first suspected that a leopard was on the move in their locality in Ghansmiyaguda of Shamshabad mandal, the area is still in the grip of fear. The situation has prompted officials to set up cages and camera traps to confirm the presence of a leopard.

The latest episode of a leopard in Shamshabad, after one was captured from the premises of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport last month, began on Sunday when a few dogs and a calf were attacked by a wild animal. Villagers presumed it to be a leopard attack but Forest officials said it could be a hyena or a large dog breed.

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With the villagers expressing their concerns, Forest officials had increased patrolling, especially during night in the area. Yet, there was no sign of any pug mark and scat of a leopard. Apart from intensifying patrolling, the Forest officials have now set up two cages and installed camera traps at different locations in the area.

It has been two days but no images were captured in the cameras so far, a forest official said, adding that patrolling would continue in the area for the next few days.

Earlier, people in the Shamshabad area were living in fear after a leopard strayed into the International airport premises. There were confirmed sightings of the leopard and camera traps too confirmed its presence, following which Forest officials set up five cages to trap the leopard. The wait continued for four days, after which the leopard fell for the bait and got trapped in one of the cages. It was later released into the Amrabad Tiger Reserve.