Most residents of a Greater Noida (West) group housing society where a leopard was sighted continued to remain indoors, with many avoiding even going to the local shops for getting daily essentials as the operation to rescue the feline entered the second day.
Home deliveries were also regulated after the leopard was spotted again on Wednesday morning.
The Forest Department said it continued the search and rescue operation at the Ajnara Le Garden in Sector 16 of Greater Noida (West), also known as Noida Extension, for the second consecutive day. Locals estimate that around 1,500 people live in the close vicinity to the residential tower in whose basement the feline is believed to be stranded.
"No doubt, residents are very concerned about their safety," Mukesh Gupta, who lives with his family on the 15th floor, said Gupta's wife was among those who claimed to have seen the feline moving around in the area on Wednesday morning. "My wife saw the leopard moving in the society on Wednesday morning. It was a little misty when she noticed the leopard near the swimming pool," Gupta said. Amit Kumar, another resident, said home delivery services have been curtailed and common areas made inaccessible in the society as people are taking utmost caution if stepping out.
The leopard sighting on Tuesday triggered panic among residents of the group housing society.
While four teams from the Forest department at Gautam Buddh Nagar rushed to the spot, experts from Meerut, Agra and Ghaziabad were also roped in to bolster the operation, an official said.