Leopard scare in Bengaluru: Forest Department asks citizens not to venture out

By: Pune Pulse

October 31, 2023

Pune: Residents of Whitefield in Bengaluru are in a state of panic when news broke of a leopard being sighted in the Kudlu Gate locality recently. The repeated sightings of the leopard in the neighborhood over the past two days caused great concern among the residents of the Tony Apartment complexes.

Videos capturing the leopard roaming the area quickly went viral on social media, further adding to the alarm. Many netizens attributed this incident to the city’s haphazard urban development, which has allowed wild animals to venture into residential zones.

Officials of the forest department and a team patrolled the area, alerting the residents and advising them not to venture out alone, especially at night and in the early hours of the day. The repeated spotting of the leopard, especially inside the apartment buildings, has kept the forest department officials on alert.

They have launched a combing operation to trace and rescue the leopard, with around 25 officials deployed in the area along with a team of veterinarians. The locals have expressed their fear of coming out of their houses. The movement of the leopard in the car garage, apartment premises, near the lift, compound, and parking lot area was captured on CCTV in the early hours of October 29.