Leopard strays into Gurgaon residential society, rescued after five-hour operation

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Gurgaon, Abhilaksh Joshi, said, “A police team stationed at Bhondsi reached the spot and informed officials concerned of the Wildlife Department. After a joint operation that lasted for several hours, the leopard was caught and released into the forest.”

Station House Officer (SHO) Chander Bhan confirmed that it was a four- to five-hour joint rescue operation. By the time officials reached the spot, the society’s residents had trapped the leopard in the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), as per Wildlife Department officials.

“The leopard took cover behind some sacks and material near a tank inside the STP. Our team strategically cut a smaller opening in the iron rod gate, allowing us to coax the leopard into a cage adjacent to it. By spraying water through pipes, we prompted the leopard to move into the cage. We were able to capture the leopard safely without using any tranquilisers,” said Divisional Forest Officer Wildlife, Gurgaon, Ram Kumar Jangra.

The forest official confirmed that the feline was healthy and could have wandered from the Aravallis in search of food and is likely to have entered the society by jumping a wall under construction.

The animal was later released in the forest range, around 20-25 km away, in the early morning hours.

Jangra added that the area at the foothills of the Aravalli forest was prone to such instances. “We keep getting such complaints. Nowadays, it is increasing… it was only around 20 days ago that we rescued a leopard from a Haryana village. The leopard population is also increasing because of conservation efforts, it is common in these areas for them to enter farms and villages,” he said.