Is it a leopard or wild cat? Teams are on the hunt

Ghaziabad: The leopard which was spotted for a second time in Dasna on Saturday and injured two people, remains elusive. On Sunday, a leopard-like animal was caught on CCTV in Muradnagar, triggering panic. However, after examining the footage, forest department officials concluded it was a cat. Apart from the Ghaziabad forest department and the local police, two teams from Wildlife SOS have been pressed into service to track down the animal. They are combing the Dasna area, particularly the Ganga canal stretch.
“A couple of teams from the Ghaziabad forest department have been constituted to track down the leopard. These teams are camping in Dasna and nearby areas,” said Diksha Bhandari, district forest officer. “In addition to these, a Wildlife SOS team from Meerut and another from Agra are assisting us in our search for the animal. A cage has also been placed in the fields of Dasna, where the animal was last sighted. Snipers armed with tranquilizer guns and vets are assisting the teams.”
However, local residents have been living in a state of fear. “On Sunday, we received a call from Friends Colony in Govindpuram that a leopard had been sighted in the area and residents had CCTV footage to corroborate the claim. But when we inspected the footage, it turned out to be a wild cat,” said Bhandari. “We have floated phone numbers for residents who can report the sighting of the elusive leopard directly to the forest department,” she added.
In Dasna’s Adhyatmik Nagar, however, villagers are refraining from stepping out of their houses. “Chandan who worked as a cook in a farmhouse was attacked by the leopard. It had ripped off flesh from his elbow and he is currently recuperating at a hospital. Moreover, a forest guard was also injured in the attack by the leopard on Saturday. Since then, we have been venturing out armed with a stick,” said Sishu Pal Singh, a resident of Dasna.
On the possibility of the animal’s escape, Bhandari said, “We want to be doubly sure that the animal has left and for that an intensive comping operation is going on in the nearby areas which include the Ganga Canal stretch, rail line and the Dasna-Nahal part of the area. The Ganga Canal area is dotted with thick foliage, which is an ideal place for the leopard to hide. We are also scanning the footage of CCTV cameras in the area to look for any clue of the animal.”