Leopard sighting stirs fear among residents in Bengaluru, advisories issued to housing associations
Leopard sighting stir fear among residents in Bengaluru, according to advisories issued to housing associations
Housing associations have been asked to curb movement in the dark and to take precautions with children until the situation is under control.
Following reports of leopard sightings in the region, the Karnataka Forest Department has sent out many advisories to a number of resident welfare associations near Bengaluru’s eastern IT corridor.
The leopard was seen in the early hours of October 27 and again on October 28 inside the Salarpuria Cadenza Apartment in Kudlu Gate, according to department sources.
“We have increased security in the areas and repeatedly warned the resident welfare associations in Kudlu Gate and the surrounding areas not to venture outside by themselves after midnight. To capture the leopard, we have also placed cages nearby and sent out multiple forest rangers, an official told Moneycontrol.
The leopard can be seen ambling through the common area before making its way across the apartment lobby in CCTV footage that was taken from the project campus.
Officials suspect that the big cat escaped from Bannarghatta National Park, which is located 8 km away. However, this has yet to be confirmed.
Fear grips the residents
Amartya Ghoshal’s Statement on Increased Security in Salarpuria Cadenza Apartment
Amartya Ghoshal, a resident of the Salarpuria Cadenza apartment, reported that the forest department issued an advisory on the night of October 30. Consequently, the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) has stepped up security measures in the area.
Handed over in January 2018, the project sprawls 5.2 acres of land with over 513 apartments.
“The association’s advisory has limited playtime for children and urged residents to exercise caution until the leopard is captured,” Ghoshal explained.
The residents have also been advised to refrain from evening or morning walks until the situation is under control.
Leopard sightings in Bengaluru, which is no stranger to such incidents, have been on the rise for the last few years.
“Leopards are not purely forest-dwelling, they cohabit in rural areas along with humans. These sightings on the periphery of the city are because just a few years back these areas were farmlands and rural areas, and were leopard territory,” Sandeep Anirudhan, an environmentalist added.
Today, such areas have evolved into real estate hubs as the city expands rapidly; thus, the leopards occasionally stray in, he added.
