Leopard scare at RCI Hyderabad: Forest officials begin investigation

Hyderabad: The forest department teams visited the Defence Laboratories School, RCI Hyderabad, following reports of spotting two leopards on the campus.

The security guards had claimed that they had noticed two leopards moving on the campus and panicked. The guards informed the school management.

The school management had issued a notice to the parents, “As per the instructions from our management committee, it has been brought to your attention that two leopards have been sighted roaming near the RCI premises. In view of this, all parents are requested to take utmost care of your children and not allow them to go outside alone under any circumstances until further notice.”

A forest official said teams are visiting the campus for two days and checking for pug marks. “We cannot rule out the presence of leopards as the RCI campus is located on over 1000 acres of land. Shortly, camera traps will be installed and based on the outcome, if needed, cages will be set up to trap the animal,” a forest official said.

Leopards, other wild animals, spotted in Hyderabad

This is not the first instance where wild animals have entered Hyderabad’s outskirts. Recently, heightened deforestation and unchecked urbanisation at forest peripheries such as Keesara, Gandipet, and Shamirpet have resulted in regular leopard, wild boar, and even peacock appearances in areas with human settlements.

In 2023, a leopard was taken into custody in Rajendranagar, the outskirts of Hyderabad, after it was spotted on several occasions near a school area. A civet cat sighting was no less terrifying to residents of LB Nagar in the same year.

Experts say that reduced habitats and broken corridors are compelling wildlife towards the city for food and water. Vignyanakancha, bordering forest tracts, is still susceptible to such events.