Jaipur, 27 November: Barely a week after a leopard caused panic in the city’s VIP Civil Lines area, residents of Vidyadhar Nagar woke up to fresh terror on Wednesday morning. The big cat slipped into the densely populated Sector 10 late Tuesday night and killed a tethered calf – the attack was discovered early Wednesday when locals noticed the carcass near a temple garden.
CCTV footage reportedly shows the leopard prowling around 2 a.m., prompting forest and wildlife officials to launch an extensive search operation across Vidyadhar Nagar and nearby areas like Pani Pench and Nehru Nagar. Fresh paw prints and pugmarks found at the site have further confirmed the big cat’s presence, according to authorities.
Residents described a tense night: “Dogs were barking incessantly around 2 a.m.,” said one local, “but by morning we were shocked to find the calf dead near the temple garden.”
This is the second major leopard sighting in the city within six days. On November 20, a leopard strayed into the high-security Civil Lines area entering a school and the official residence of a cabinet minister before getting tranquilized after a prolonged chase.
Wildlife experts and forest officials warn that such incidents may become more frequent. They attribute the increasing urban incursions to a swelling leopard population, shrinking prey base in fringe forests, and rapid urban expansion, pushing the animals deeper into human habitation.
Authorities have urged residents to remain calm but vigilant, to avoid unnecessary movement after dark, and to report any unusual animal sightings immediately to the forest department. A full-fledged search operation is still underway as of Wednesday afternoon.