This is the third incident of a leopard entering human settlements in Meerut.
Highlights
- Three labourers hospitalised, now in stable condition
- Attack creates panic, all schools in Meerut shut on Wednesday
- Third incident of a leopard entering human settlements in Meerut
Three labourers working in an under-construction building in Fazalpur area in Meerut Cantonment were injured in an attack by a leopard, which has created panic in the city prompting authorities to shut all schools on Wednesday.
The injured trio has been admitted to a hospital where their condition was stated to be out of danger, District Magistrate Pankaj Yadav told PTI.
The feline was last morning spotted near the Army hospital in the Cantonment area. Army jawans had informed senior officials of the presence of the leopard in human settlements following which police and forest officials rushed to the spot.
A team of forest officials is trying to tranquilise the wild cat which was last spotted in the JCO mess of Army in the Cantonment adjoining Fazalpur, SSP D K Dubey said.
The team of experts which has been assigned the task of capturing the feline includes forest officials from Delhi, Bengal and Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Dubey said.
All schools in the city uptill standard XII on Wednesday remained closed as panic gripped the city after the leopard was spotted on Tuesday.
Locals have been advised not to move out of their houses, the DM said.
A team of forest officials from Bareilly last night shot tranquiliser darts into the leopard who was spotted sitting on a tree in the Army hospital complex. The big cat, however, managed to escape, Mr Yadav said.
This is the third incident of a leopard entering human settlements in Meerut. Previously the big cat was spotted in 1995 and 2014.