Leopard 'strays' into Phillaur, video goes viral

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Jalandhar, December 18

The video of a leopard, which strayed into the town, is doing rounds on the social media.

Veteran wildlife rangers and conservationists say such incidents are common with decrease in forest cover and shouldn’t be viewed with fear or alarm, but lack of information among locals ends up creating panic and also sometimes harming wildlife.

The CCTV footage shows a leopard running around in a residential area. It is said that the video grab is from Mohalla Kazian.

Experts said the thick forest — which starts from Ropar and extends into the area near Phillaur — is marked by several chos (water bodies) which is a habitat of wild animals, including leopards, and their straying in shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Nikhil Senger, conservationist and wildlife watcher, said, “With residential areas close by and eating into forest habitats, the straying of wild animals into human settlements is not uncommon anymore. Rather, there is need for sensitivity among residents who should not view it as a threat. Alarm or hysteria often worsens the situation. Left on its own, a leopard will cause no harm to humans if it is allowed to pass through the forest. While panic often follows, people should abstain from crowding around the animal.”