
Camera traps set up by Forest officials have captured the leopard’s images, confirming its presence on the campus of Greyhounds.
| Photo Credit: Representational Photo
The increasing number and frequency of leopard sightings in the city fringes in recent times are an indication of rampant depletion of vegetation due to fast paced urbanisation, which is resulting in habitat loss and absence of prey for the felines.
The latest sighting was reported from the Manchirevula village, from inside the sprawling campus of Greyhounds. Constables on the campus spotted the cat in the early hours on Monday and alerted the higher authorities, who in turn, passed the information on to the Forest Department.
Forest officials who searched the whole area, reportedly found pug marks, and installed camera traps at the location. As per information from reliable sources, the camera traps captured the animal’s images, confirming its presence on the campus. “We have also come to know that dogs had gone missing from the surrounding areas, and surmised that the leopard is feeding on them,” an official said. Trap cages have been set up at a few locations with live bait to capture the leopard.
This is the third report of leopard sighting in July alone, from the areas abutting the city. About 10 days ago, news came from Raviryal, of sighting of two leopards inside the Research Centre Imarat facility of Defence Research & Development Organisation. Physical verification did not yield any trace of leopards, nor have the camera traps captured any image, officials informed.
Then came reports about leopard movements in Chilukur, near the nursery of the Telangana State Medicinal Plants Board, close to the Himayatsagar reservoir. Field level verification confirmed the presence of the big cat, and now officials surmise that the same leopard must have crossed over to the Greyhounds campus.
With several gated communities and residential localities dotting the peripheries, foresters are jittery about the panic the news could cause.
Published – July 22, 2025 07:53 PM is