Hubballi: Foresters intensify their search for leopards in and around Nrupatunga Betta after the big cat looked around Wednesday night.
The Ministry of Forestry has explored Betta Nrupatunga and its surroundings for the past two days, but personnel cannot find a trail of large cats until Friday night.
Residents of Rajnagar, Vishveshwarnagar, the area and surrounding areas continue to live in fear because the Ministry of Forestry has not found a leopard, or a big cat’s footprint.
Hubballi Range Forest Officer (RFO) Sridhar Teginmani, who was heading for a search operation, said that the leopard was seen near Kendriya Vidyalaya and a woman’s hostel in Rajnagar after being lost from Nrupatunga Betta.
“We rushed to a place where the big cat was seen in the afternoon on Thursday, but could not find it,” Teginmani said to the Toi.
On Friday, in the meantime, the unkal residents refer to the police control room to tell them about seeing leopards near the wooden yard at around 5.30 in the morning.
“We rushed to the wooden yard to find leopards but did not find instructions.
We did not find a sign of PUG, but we have decided to continue the operation,” RFO said.
Tegincani said that they were through a recording of a closed circuit television camera installed near unwanted wooden yard.
“From what we can see, it looks like a German shepherd.
But we don’t take risks, and don’t ignore the complaints of the locals about the leopard.
We really monitor the situation, and keep watches close in all places where we suspect the leopard can be on Mangch, “Teginmani added.
Meanwhile, Nrupatunga Betta remained closed to the public on Friday.
The residents of the area around Nrupatunga Betta were told to be alert and intimate the Ministry of Forestry if they saw the leopard.
Tegincani said that the foresal had established a trap camera to track big cat movements.
“We will continue the search on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Nrupatunga Betta will remain closed to the public until large cats are arrested,” he added.