Leopard sighted near Hyderabad airport

A leopard was sighted near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Sunday.

The Forest Department has launched an operation to catch the leopard after its movement was captured on CCTV cameras installed around the airport vicinity.

The forest personnel installed trap cameras and set up cages as part of their operation.

The animal was sighted in the airport area near the aircraft repair centre in the early hours of the day near Gollapalli under Shamshabad municipality in Ranga Reddy district.

The presence of the leopard triggered panic among residents. The officials have advised them to be careful.

According to officials, the big cat jumped over the boundary wall of the airport near Gollapalli, triggering an alarm in the Airport Control Room. The airport authorities immediately alerted the Forest Department, which launched an operation to catch it. Two cubs are believed to be accompanying the leopard.

With the help of CCTV footage, the officials identified the area where the leopard was seen and were focusing their efforts there.

There have been a few instances of leopards straying into areas close to human habitations on the city outskirts. In 2020, a leopard had strayed into the Rajendranagar area and was seen resting in the middle of the road. It was later trapped by the Forest Department.