In January, the forest department was involved in a wild goose chase to track a leopard that had wandered onto the Infosys campus in Mysuru, India. After the leopard’s disappearance, another report was filed by residents of an apartment complex on KRS Road, located nearby, of spotting a leopard. The Deputy Conservator of Forests (Territorial) K.N. Basavaraj stated that members of the Leopard Task Force and other staff have been monitoring the situation since receiving the complaint.
Although pug marks were initially detected, they were found to be likely caused by stray dogs rather than the leopard. As a precaution, the forest department has deployed staff to scan the area for evidence of the leopard’s presence, despite having yet to install camera traps. The apartment complex, which houses scores of people, is not too far from the Infosys campus, where the leopard was first spotted. Leopards have been known to thrive in scrub vegetation and agricultural areas, which makes this neighborhood a possible habitat.
Previous incidents have also reported leopards being sighted in and around Mysuru, with some even being relocated from industrial areas. This makes it feasible for the same leopard to be present in the area. However, the situation has raised concerns among local residents.