Residents of Canal Road area were in for a surprise on Tuesday morning when they saw a leopard cub hiding in the lantana bushes on a vacant plot in the locality.
The locals immediately informed the forest department which brought department personnel from the Malsi range. Though the department staff attempted to capture the leopard, the spotted cat made a getaway before it could be captured. A large crowd gathered to see the young leopard, estimated to be about one year old. The crowd evidently scared the big cat which soon escaped into the jungles across the Barighat river. Department staff said that the young leopard might have strayed into the human settlement while the locals state that leopards are not uncommon in the area. The locals fear the presence of a female leopard in the area. However, there has been little human-wildlife conflict involving
leopards in this area.