Officials launched an operation on Thursday to locate and tranquilise a leopard after it was spotted near a shopping mall in a crowded business district of North Bengal’s Siliguri town. State Forest Minister Benoy Burman said he has instructed his department to ensure the leopard is trapped unharmed at any cost. “We will ensure there is no mishap. No one should be harmed — be it the local citizens or the leopard. Our men are on the ground,” said Burman.
Reports said the leopard first appeared at a checkpoint near the mall on busy Sebak road late on Wednesday evening. The appearance triggered panic among the residents, who started running away from the area. The leopard then jumped onto the roof a nearby warehouse. It disappeared as officials from the nearby forest department office at Baikuntapur rushed to the spot. The leopard remained untraceable until last reports came in. Officials were combing the area and had put up multiple traps to catch the leopard.
“We have advised the locals to stay indoors as much as possible,” said an official. Officials were keen to ensure the leopard does not meet the fate of a Royal Bengal tiger recently killed in Lalgarh. Tribal hunters allegedly killed the tiger as forest officials failed to catch it for months. The killing had sparked a war of words between Union minister Maneka Gandhi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Gandhi had accused the state government of allowing the tribal hunters to kill the tiger because of vote-bank considerations. Mamata called Gandhi’s comments unwarranted and an insult to the tribal community.