Leopard spotted near Nashik's Bhonsala Military School and College; drones deployed in search op

Nashik, Nov17 (PTI) A leopard was spotted near the famed Bhonsala Military School and College in Maharashtra's Nashik city on Monday, spreading panic among residents, forest department officials said.

The leopard was spotted by guards of Bhonsala Military School and College, located in Mahatmanagar in Gangapur Road area, at around 10 am, an official said.

"They tried to chase it away but the big cat disappeared somewhere into the surrounding thicket. Forest and police personnel then mounted a search in the area, while drones were also deployed some time later. The school administration declared holiday for students for the rest of the day as a precautionary measure," he informed.

Incidentally, a leopard was spotted in Sant Kabir Nagar, Kamgar Nagar, Parijat Nagar, Vanvihar Colony, behind Bhonsala Military School, Mahatmanagar area on Friday afternoon.

It was caught two hours later in an operation that saw eight persons, including two forest department staffers, receiving injuries, but several residents then had claimed they had seen two leopards lurking in the area.

Officials could not confirm if the leopard spotted this morning is the second big cat residents were speaking of at the time. PTI COR BNM