Jaipur, 16 November: A shocking incident late Friday night in the Gujjar Gatti colony adjoining the Nahargarh Wildlife Sanctuary has drawn widespread attention after a leopard that entered a house was subdued and beaten by local residents with blankets and sticks.
According to footage obtained from the area, the big cat ventured into the verandah of a house owned by a resident named Narsi Meena. Upon spotting the animal, a family member reportedly fled to safety while the leopard remained in the house for several minutes before being cornered by an agitated crowd.
CCTV visuals show several men covering the leopard with a blanket, sitting on top of it and then striking it with sticks. One of the sticks even broke under the force of the hit. Forest officials responded swiftly upon receiving calls and managed to disperse the crowd, ensuring the leopard eventually returned to the forest.
An official from the wildlife department, ACF Devendra Singh Rathore, confirmed that the house was just 50 metres from the sanctuary boundary, suggesting the animal likely strayed from its natural habitat. He added that while the cat appeared uninjured and had left the area, continued monitoring of the zone has been initiated.
The incident has raised serious concerns among conservationists about the increasing frequency of human-wildlife interactions in urban fringe areas. One wildlife enthusiast commented that the area housing the Meena residence may have been “encroached forest land,” and thus the wild cat may have been simply reclaiming its territory.
Locals in the densely populated colony say they are often unaware of the risks posed by stray wildlife at strange hours and lament the lack of early-warning systems. “We live right by the forest edge but have no protocol for what to do when a leopard comes,” said one resident.
Forest department sources indicate that further steps will include increased patrolling after dark, setting up camera traps in vulnerable lanes, and community-awareness drives to prevent similar confrontations. A legal review is reportedly underway to ascertain liability for the beating of a protected species and to determine whether stricter habitat-safety measures are needed.