Hyderabad: A leopard that was trapped by the Forest authorities at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, has been released into a tiger reserve.
Earlier, after trapping the leopard, it was first shifted to Nehru Zoo Park where a veterinary team examined its health before releasing it into Amrabad Tiger Reserve on Saturday night.
Leopard presence had created panic
Previously, the presence of the leopard had created panic in villages around the Hyderabad Airport. It was trapped in a cage set up by the Forest officials, bringing a sense of relief to people who were worried about their safety since the big cat was sighted on April 28.
The Forest Department, which was on its toes for five days, had set up five cages and 20 trap cameras as part of the operation to catch the elusive big cat. It got trapped in one of the cages, falling for the bait.
Leopard was sighted in Hyderabad Airport area
The leopard was sighted in the airport area near the aircraft repair center near Gollapalli under Shamshabad municipality in Ranga Reddy district.
The Hyderabad Airport staff saw the leopard jumping over the boundary wall of the airport near Gollapalli. They immediately alerted the Forest Department, which launched an operation to catch it.
There have been a few instances of leopards straying into areas close to human habitations in the city outskirts. In 2020, a leopard strayed into the Rajendranagar area and was seen resting in the middle of the road. It was later trapped by the Forest Department.
