Classes suspended after leopards seen prowling near school in Uttarakhand's Pauri

Authorities declared that Monday and Tuesday would be holidays at a government primary school in Ekeshwar block here after two leopards appeared near its campus, officials said. The incident occurred on Saturday at 7.30 am when students of Government Primary School, Sason, were gathering for the morning assembly.

Authorities declared that Monday and Tuesday would be holidays at a government primary school in Ekeshwar block here after two leopards appeared near its campus, officials said. The incident occurred on Saturday at 7.30 am when students of Government Primary School, Sason, were gathering for the morning assembly. ​A local taxi driver, Shubham Rawat, spotted the leopards and sounded his vehicle horn to alert the staff. Teachers scrambled to shield the students inside classrooms while villagers used stones and noise to chase the animals into the forest. Following the close shave, the Block Education Officer ordered the school to remain closed for two days, starting Monday, to ensure student safety. Vikas Chandra Kainthola, an assistant teacher, told PTI, ''The assembly was about to begin when we were alerted to the leopards standing right at our wall. We acted instantly to secure the children.'' The incident has heightened fear across 14 neighbouring schools, including Maso, Mawanidhar and Pipli. Local leaders said the leopard menace is driving families to migrate to the plains, with many students already seeking transfer certificates. ​Surendra Singh, a representative of village head Seema Devi, said they would soon meet the Pauri District Magistrate to demand shifting the school to the village panchayat building. The current school building is located about 700 metres away from the village. Villagers have demanded immediate steps to capture the predators. Forest department teams arrived at the spot to assess the situation and monitor the area. ''We have increased patrolling in the area and are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the residents and schoolchildren,'' an official said.