Leopard sighted near Faridkot, alert sounded

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Faridkot, December 30

After a leopard was allegedly spotted near Bir Sikhanwala village of Faridkot today, ripples of fear went through the local communities. In footage from CCTV cameras, the leopard is seen near a house.

A Forest Department team and Faridkot police officers visited the area, which has a dense jungle spread across hundreds of acres of land on the estate of the erstwhile Maharaja of Faridkot. This area is at the distance of about 7 km from Faridkot town.

“We have deployed our staff and they are on the lookout for the leopard. However, we are yet to find any trace of the leopard,” said a Forest Department officer.

While no one has actually seen the big cat roaming around, a video has surfaced showing an animal resembling a leopard near a house on the outskirts of the village.

Since it is residential area, villagers are scared, said a Forest Department official. Even though no one has seen it, the presence of a leopard there cannot be ruled out as it’s close to a dense forest, added another official. The official said people must not panic, but advised them to take necessary safety measures to safeguard themselves and their pets and cattle.

Forest Department officials have placed cages at different places in the area, placing live chickens in them as bait to lure the leopard.