Ghaziabad administration deploys drone cameras to track elusive leopard

The leopard, which vanished in the forested campus of Ingraham Institute after injuring a gardener working in the adjacent official premises of the Ghaziabad Development Authority vice chairperson, however, continues to elude the search teams deployed to catch it. With the big cat staying untraceable, the Ghaziabad administration has cautioned people living in the neighbouring areas of Raj Nagar, Raj Kunj, Shastri Nagar and Kavi Nagar against venturing out in the open alone.

The Ghaziabad administration has deployed some drone cameras in a bid to trace a leopard which disappeared in the sprawling campus of an educational institute here three days ago. The leopard, which vanished in the forested campus of Ingraham Institute after injuring a gardener working in the adjacent official premises of the Ghaziabad Development Authority vice chairperson, however, continues to elude the search teams deployed to catch it.

With the big cat staying untraceable, the Ghaziabad administration has cautioned people living in the neighbouring areas of Raj Nagar, Raj Kunj, Shastri Nagar and Kavi Nagar against venturing out in the open alone. District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey on Thursday appealed to the residents to keep their children and elderly family members inside their houses till the animal is caught.

Meanwhile, intensifying its efforts to catch the leopard, the Forest Department has installed 360-degree CCTV cameras in the institute's sprawling 65-acre campus and is monitoring it round the clock in hope of catching a glimpse of the animal. The Forest Department teams have also deployed four drones in the Rajendra Nagar and adjoining areas to track the leopard and have also kept three cages at various strategic locations to trap it, said officials.

DM Pandey said well-trained Forest Department guards have been deputed to keep a watch in the area during the night. One tranquilliser gun too has been brought from the Saharanpur district and given to guards so that in case of an encounter with the big cat, they may use it to tranquilise the animal and catch it.

The leopard was first spotted in the Raj Nagar area around 11 am on Tuesday in a CCTV footage. The big cat entered the generator house of the GDA VC office and after injuring a gardener there, jumped into the adjoining Ingraham Institute campus and vanished.

The districts key officials like DM and SSP have their official residences in this area..