Forest dept ratchets up efforts to capture eluding leopard at RGIA

Hyderabad: The Telangana Forest Department has heightened its efforts to capture the leopard that entered Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) and has been evading capture for the past two days.

The leopard entered the airport premises on Sunday, and its movements were captured by surveillance cameras. RGIA officials promptly notified the forest department, which subsequently set up traps to capture the leopard. Despite efforts spanning two days, the officials have yet to successfully trap the elusive animal.

“Keeping the urgency and sensitivity of the matter it was decided to increase the number of cages from the existing three to five. Further, 15 more trap cameras will be installed at strategic locations in addition to the existing five installed at different locations,” chief wildlife warden MC Pargaien said.

This decision was taken by the department after reviewing the status of the strayed leopard’s movement with RGIA officials, including Sudeep Lakhtakia, executive director of GMR airports, on Tuesday morning.

The forest officials said no images of the leopard were captured on the installed trap cameras on Monday night. Forest officers have been closely monitoring the situation, ensuring that all preparations to capture the leopard are in place. Residents and individuals in nearby areas have been advised to exercise caution and remain vigilant. The chief wildlife warden has urged locals to promptly inform officials if they observe any movement of the leopard.