Leopard that strayed into school in Tamil Nadu's Tirupathur caught

Tirupathur, Jun 15 (PTI) A leopard that strayed into a school here in Tamil Nadu and then a parking lot was caught in an overnight operation after forest department teams trapped it in a car shed using rope nets, officials said on Saturday.

Early Saturday, a team of veterinarians tranquillised the big cat, finally capturing it, they said. The leopard was spotted by a parent who had come to the school to pick his child, according to the officials. He saw the leopard on the school's campus, located near the collectorate, around 4 pm on Friday and immediately informed authorities.

Police and forest department personnel rushed to the school and ensured the safe evacuation of students.

For five people, however, it was a terrifying eight hours as they sat locked in their cars with the leopard moving around their vehicles. The animal climbed on top of one of the cars and sat underneath another, before moving towards the shed.

The officials said a man who was injured by the leopard was admitted to a hospital.

Three teams comprising 50 forest department personnel along with police cordoned the car shed, located about two kilometres from the school.

The team spread rope nets around the shed after confirming the animal's presence there, the officials said.

They said the team of veterinarians from Hosur fired a tranquilliser shot at the leopard early Saturday and captured it.

"We have successfully caught the leopard. After the veterinarians examine his health condition, we will leave it in a suitable habitat in the reserve forest," an official said. PTI JSP ANB ANB