Leopard on the Loose in India Injures Two

A leopard on the loose in India has injured at least two persons creating panic and prompting administration to order closure of schools and colleges.

District administration has also appealed for closure of markets in the city as forest administration and army officials failed to trace the feline which sneaked into the city on Sunday.

According to Sanjiv Kumar, SDO forest department,"The leopard was first sighted yesterday morning in a godown. A person entered the store and was attacked and injured by the big cat."

Later, the animal entered a nearby hospital in army cantonment, and stayed inside a room till late on Sunday night.

A team of Wild Trust of India (WTI) was called to trap the leopard but their bid proved futile as the animal escaped breaking glass panes of window, the officer said.

Crowd of curious onlookers also made the animal nervous and it attacked another person outside the hospital, police said.

Teams of forest department and police are searching the feline in the city.

According to BBC, wildlife experts say there are no reliable population estimates for leopards in India, but rough estimates put their number at about 10,000.

Tigers and other big cats have been known to stray into populated areas and conservationists have warned that such confrontations may increase as humans encroach on animal habitats.


Sources: The Hindu, BBC
Photos: AFP - Getty Images