Udaipur: Panic gripped residents of Krishnapura Colony in Udaipur city, after a leopard strayed into the residential area early Thursday and evaded capture for over eight hours before being tranquilised and removed by the forest department.The wild cat was first spotted around 5 am entering lane number 3 of the colony from the nearby Ayad river. Over the next few hours, it moved between houses at least three times, even briefly entering a residence, leaving residents confined indoors and on edge throughout the morning. After receiving alerts from locals, personnel from Bhupalpura police station and the Udaipur forest department rushed to the spot and launched a coordinated search operation. The animal kept changing locations, complicating efforts to track and safely immobilise it. After nearly two hours of focused search and planning, the leopard was finally darted with a tranquiliser at around 1.30 pm. Forest department officials waited for about 15 minutes to ensure full sedation before securing the animal, placing it in a cage and transporting it to Sajjangarh Biological Park. Shooter Digvijay Singh said the operation required patience and precision. “The leopard was constantly shifting locations, which delayed the tranquillisation. There was always a risk of an attack, but coordinated efforts ensured the operation was completed safely,” he said. Local resident Vimal Shaktawat said the leopard was first noticed around 5.30 am and information was shared with neighbours and authorities. Emergency rescue operations continued until the leopard was safely removed.
