Leopard elusive, now python spotted nearby

Greater Noida: A 10-feet-long python was spotted slithering into the bushes in Techzone 4 area of Greater Noida on Monday, residents of the area told forest officials, who quickly sent in a team and an earthmover to search for the reptile and release it back into the wild.
The incident comes close on the heels of a leopard being spotted at a city highrise just 5km away.
A four-day operation to find the big cat was called off last weekend though authorities are still keeping a watch.
On Monday, a video released online showed the snake moving into a dry and dense bush. Residents said they had released it on social media to seek the forest department’s intervention.
“We run a school for underprivileged children in the area. A teacher spotted a large python not too far from the school, and informed me. He also captured a video,” said Rashmi Pandey, a resident of Greater Noida West.
Techzone-4 spans from Gaur Chowk to Eco Village 1, with around 25 highrises and several unfinished projects. It is estimated that 20,000 people live there.
Pandey was the one who tweeted the video while tagging police and forest department officials on Monday.
District forest officer Pramod Kumar Srivastava said a team reached the spot around 5pm and launched a search operation. An earthmover was also deployed .
“It appears the python escaped in the dense buses. We have advised people to inform the department if they spot it again. We have also asked residents not to roam in the area unnecessarily,” said Ram Avtar, forest guard, Dadri range.
The python, if caught, will be released in the Surajpur wetland, located just 15km away and home to several reptile species.
Last week, residents of Ajnara Le Garden in Greater Noida (West) said they saw a leopard in the society’s premises. The forest department, over the next four days, tried to catch the elusive leopard, but the big cat could not be traced.