Hyderabad: Panic gripped Rajendranagar and its surrounding localities after a leopard was allegedly spotted moving in the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University on Sunday, January 12.
A local morning walker, Venkatesh Goud, claimed to have spotted the leopard on the university campus and alerted his friends over the phone. The word soon spread prompting the university security staff to swing into action and begin patrolling the campus, warning students and staff to stay in the university quarters.
Goud had parked his car outside the campus and went for a walk. When he neared the statue of Professor Jayashankar, he noticed the wild cat moving around and disappearing in the thick vegetation.
Local police and forest officials reached the campus and collected the pug marks. The pug marks have been sent to examine if they belong to the leopard or not.
Additionally, forest officials have decided to install camera traps to take snaps of the leopard and confirm its presence.
Leopards often visit the agricultural university from nearby forest reserve blocks of Gagan Pahad and Himayatsagar. Twice in the last four years, leopards have been spotted and in one instance, one of them was caught in the Water and Land Management Training and Research Institute (WALAMTARI) campus.
Leopard movement is common around Moinabad, Himayatsagar, Osmansagar, Rajendranagar and Shamshabad Gagan Pahad areas. A decade ago these sightings were common in the belt spread over 50 kilometres.
No leopard in campus: Agri univ dismiss rumours
Officials of the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University have dismissed rumours about a leopard moving into its campus.
“A team of forest officials, local police and the university’s security personnel did a thorough search of the campus for four hours. There are no leopard tracks or signs found,” said the university’s security officer Dr Hussain in a statement.
The authorities asked students and their families not to panic, highlighting that the reports on social media were unfounded. However, monitoring of the campus will continue. Trap cameras have been installed and security personnel will continue patrolling the area. It urged the students to take precautions and avoid roaming on the campus roads at night.
The university has assured the public that it is keeping a watchful eye on the situation and taking appropriate precautions.
Leopard in Hyderabad
Last year, on October 18, a video emerged on social media showing a leopard-like creature roaming behind the Miyapur Metro station in Hyderabad.
| Posted by Veena Nair | 
