Three days on, search for leopard continues around Bommasandra

BENGALURU: Three days after a leopard was spotted moving around at Kudlu in Bommasandra, and was captured on CCTV at Salarpuria Cadenza apartment and AECS Layout, the Forest Department has placed two cages in a 14-acre open private land near AECS Layout in the hope of trapping the animal. On Tuesday, the officials also used drone cameras to locate the wild cat, but it eluded them.

Drones with thermal imaging cameras were used on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, drone cameras were used at Kudlu, Singasandra, Somasundara Palya, Hosapalya, HSR Layout, Parangipalya, Bandepalya and surrounding areas. The leopard jumped an 8-foot-high compound wall of the apartment complex and was seen moving around in the basement and near a lift entrance on the night of October 28. Following this, Forest officials made announcements advising residents not to move alone at night and to carry sticks.

The officials kept watch on the cages for two nights till 5 am on Tuesday, but the leopard has remained elusive. The Forest Department staff have also been conducting patrols at night in the area after pug marks were found behind the Cadenza apartment.

Over the last two days, residents have not been stepping out for morning walks and are dropping off children to schools by cabs.

Past midnight on Tuesday too, the leopard was reportedly spotted in Krishnareddy Industrial Area when the Parappana Agrahara police were on night patrol. They reported to the Forest Department that the animal was seen at a four-storey vacant building. Following this, veterinarians from the Bannerghatta Biological Park were summoned to dart the leopard, but it proved evasive again.

A specialist team from Mysuru was also brought in to trap the leopard, but after searching the building, the Forest officials later continued with the combing operations. A cage was also placed in the ground floor of the building and searches were carried out in the forest area near AECS Layout and the plantations near Hosapalya.