Jaipur witnessed another alarming leopard intrusion on Wednesday, barely a week after a big cat triggered panic in the city's VIP Civil Lines area. This time, the leopard entered a residential locality in Sector 10 of Vidyadhar Nagar in the early hours, killing a tethered calf and sending shockwaves through the community.
Night of Terror in Vidyadhar Nagar
CCTV footage captured the leopard's movement around 2 am on Wednesday, showing the animal prowling through the residential area. The forest department immediately launched a large-scale search operation across Vidyadhar Nagar, Pani Pench, and Nehru Nagar, with teams meticulously checking rooftops, empty plots, and surrounding lanes.
Residents near the Sector-10 Shiv Temple described a tense night filled with anxiety. The temple priest recalled being awakened by persistent barking dogs. "When I stepped out, everything appeared normal. By morning, the calf in the garden area was found dead. The leopard took it," he stated.
Another resident, Akhil Chaudhary, confirmed that the forest department was immediately informed once the dead calf was discovered, prompting the extensive search operation. "The moment the calf was found, the forest department was informed and the search operation began," Chaudhary said.
Pattern of Leopard Movements in Urban Jaipur
This recent sighting follows closely on the heels of the November 20 Civil Lines incident, when a leopard entered a minister's bungalow and later a school before being tranquilized after a prolonged chase.
An officer involved in the current operation revealed that "the CCTV shows movement near the drain by the RPA boundary around 6 am. This belt often sees leopards straying into habitation." A dedicated team has been deployed to maintain constant vigil in the affected areas.
By noon on Wednesday, the animal was reportedly sighted again in Pani Pench locality, prompting extended field checks by forest officials. This isn't an isolated incident for Vidyadhar Nagar, which has recorded multiple such encounters over recent years.
The area has become a hotspot for leopard activity, with previous incidents including:
- A leopard spotted on Sector-8 rooftops in June
- Another big cat entering a Central Government guest house last December
- Multiple sightings causing hours of panic before successful rescues
Growing Concern Over Urban Wildlife Conflict
Environmental experts indicate that leopard movement has recently been identified across almost all major parts of Jaipur, including Durgapura, Gopalpura, Jaisinghpura, Jagatpura, Malviya Nagar Industrial Area, and Kho-Nagoriyan.
Wildlife enthusiast Amit Sharma explained the underlying cause: "With protection, the leopard population has increased. However, declining prey availability in fringe forests is pushing leopards deeper into densely populated and even high-security zones."
This recurring presence of leopards in urban and residential areas continues to pose a growing challenge for both the forest department and police, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to manage human-wildlife coexistence in expanding urban landscapes.
The forest department maintains constant surveillance in affected areas and has assured residents of prompt response to any further sightings, though the pattern suggests these urban intrusions may become more frequent without intervention.
