Leopard strays into Gurugram society, rescued after 4-hr op sans tranquiliser
Panic gripped Anmol Ashiyana in Sohna on the intervening night of January 11 and 12 as a leopard wandered into the housing society.
The feline, said to be 6-7 years old, was rescued after a four-hour operation, and later released into the Aravallis near Gairatpur Baas village. Fortunately, as the animal entered the society around midnight, no confrontation with residents was reported.
The society’s staff spotted the animal, and alerted the local police and the Wildlife Department.
Teams from the Forest Department arrived at around 1.30 am and began the rescue operation.
Interestingly, no tranquilisers were used to subdue the leopard. Instead, rescuers devised an unconventional yet effective plan using water sprays to nudge the animal away from potential hazards, cutting through a door to contain it.
Divisional Wildlife Officer RK Jangra said, “Rescuing the leopard without tranquilisers was difficult but necessary. One of the security guards of the society spotted the feline in the basement parking area. It then moved to the sewage treatment plant (STP) zone, which has 11 20-foot-deep water tanks. We could not use a tranquiliser due to the risk of the leopard falling into one of the tanks. Ensuring the animal’s safety was a priority for us. We used high-pressure water hoses to create a barrier, gradually guiding the leopard toward the exit. We succeeded and managed to secure the animal without any injury,”
Officials had set up a cage near the gate to capture the leopard, he added.
Though there is no confirmation, Wildlife officials believe that the leopard wandered out of a forest in search of food or water, ending up at the society.
Wildlife expert Anil Gandas, who assisted the Forest Department team during the operation, said a guards were closing the gate when they spotted the leopard near the STP area.
“Unfortunately, it slipped inside before the gate was shut. The local police were immediately informed, and I was also contacted. We worked closely with the Wildlife Department throughout the night to ensure a safe rescue,” Gandas added.
Following the incident, officials have issued an alert to residents of all nearby societies to be vigilant and report any wildlife sightings promptly.
Societies have been asked to immediately contact the department in case of any such sightings.