A leopard strayed into a plush residential area in Chandigarh on Monday morning, triggering panic among people, officials said.
The feline was trapped by forest officials after hectic efforts of over five hours.
The leopard got injured during the trapping operation.
With the prevailing eerie silence owing to the curfew to limit the spread of coronavirus, the leopard from the nearby Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary entered the city in the wee hours and was spotted in a Sector 5 residential area.
It was spotted at 8.15 a.m. and subsequently locals alerted the local police and the Wildlife Department.
The police reached the spot and asked locals to stay away from the wild cat.
The leopard kept hiding for about five hours before being tranquilised, said a forest official.
A few days back, sambars were spotted in residential areas located close to the sanctuary. They were caught on cameras by locals as they were roaming fearlessly.
The Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, adjoining the rain-fed Sukhna Lake, spreads over 25.42 sq km. It is home to a variety of butterflies, birds and mammals like the wild boar, pangolin, mongoose, deer and the Indian civet, besides snakes like the Indian python and Russell’s viper.
