UP: Forest department captures leopard spotted inside Ghaziabad school premises

Ghaziabad (UP), Feb 25 (PTI) The forest department on Wednesday captured the leopard after it was sighted in a school premises in the Govindpuram area.

Upon receiving information from the Greenfield Public School management, which sighted the leopard in CCTV, a team from the department reached the campus and evacuated the school for the safety of the students and faculty, and the school was.

The school was closed, and authorities have established a security perimeter around the institution with police cordoning off all major access roads, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Isha Singh told PTI.

Later, the forest team tracked the leopard to a school toilet and, to safely neutralise the predator, forest teams drilled a four-foot-wide hole through the toilet wall.

A tranquilliser dart was administered through the opening, causing the wildcat to faint shortly after and be caged.

According to Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Dr Saloni, the leopard will be transported to the Shivalik range in Saharanpur.

The relocation will be conducted under the strict supervision of veterinary doctors to ensure the leopard's safety during the journey.

No injuries to staff or residents were reported during the operation.

Earlier, roads were barricaded to restrict civilian movement and ensure the search area remained clear for wildlife experts. "Our primary objective is safe relocation of the wildcat," she said.

The administration had issued a formal advisory for the residents, urging them to remain inside the house.

Cages and nets were also installed in the school premises to capture the leopard.

Earlier, leopards came into the city from the Garh Mukteswar side via the Ganga canal and riverside, the DFO added. PTI COR ABN ABN HIG HIG