Wild leopard sneaked in to capital city trapped, released in to Chandaka forest

The leopard strayed into the capital city from the nearby
Chandaka forest triggering panic among the residents for last three days, finally
trapped in the wee hours today and later released in the Chandaka forest
Panic gripped the posh Polaspalli area of the Capital city when wild leopard, possibly
sneaked from the Chandaka wild life sanctuary was spotted on Sunday night and again
in the wee hours on Tuesday moving near the Biju Patnaik International airport.
The state forest department, the CISF, the Chandaka wildlife division officials and the
Nandankanan Zoo authority have launched joint operation to capture the wild animal.
All the exit points in and around the Biju Patnaik International airport the nearby
Polaspalli area were sealed and as many as eight cages were installed to trap the
leopard.
The big cat was reportedly caught near the Cargo Gate of the Biju Patnaik International
airport late last night and was released in the Chandaka forest,from where it possibly
sneaked into the capital city after a preliminary treatment at the Nandankana Zoo.
The presence of the leopard was first captured in a CCTV installed in one of the
commercial establishments in the Polaspalli area on Sunday night. The leopard was again
sighted by a security personnel of the ATS tower of the Biju Patnaik International Airport
in the wee hours on Tuesday.
As the forest officials launched the “Operation Tiger” to trap the leopard, the local
residents were warned not to move in the night. The BPIA authority as a precautionary
measured and prevented the entry of the people in to the specific area near the airport
where the leopard was reportedly moving.
Sources said the leopard was tranquilized by an expert team from Nandankanan Zoo
as it was seen screaming inside the trapped cage.
The forest officials had heaved a sigh of relief after it was trapped as the operation
tiger ended with zero casualty. Although the leopard stayed long three days inside the
busy Polaspalli area and the nearby airport yet no one was injured and attacked by the
big cat