Cage with bait placed to trap the felines in BEML premises

Mysore/Mysuru: A leopard with four cubs — all presumed to be sub-adults — were sighted on the BEML factory premises on the outskirts of the city on Tuesday night and a video showing them prowling near the compound is doing rounds on social media.

A voice in the background is heard confirming the presence of the leopards. A few moments later, one of the leopards springs up to sit on the compound wall and jumps back into the bushes, going out of sight.

A senior BEML employee, who confirmed the authenticity of the video, said the animals were sighted by the guards on night patrol when the third shift was on and they took a video of it. When contacted, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Dr. K.C. Prashanth Kumar said that he also came to know of it only late on Wednesday evening through media inquiries and he would speak to the BEML authorities and initiate further action.

However, he pointed out that leopard sightings in the BEML Complex is common and whenever there was a complaint and its presence confirmed, the Forest Department had placed cages to trap the animal and release it back into the wild. But, it is for the first time that as many as five leopards were sighted, indicating the adaptability of the spotted cat to the industrial complex.

BEML sources said that a permanent cage to trap leopards was present in the premises and added that the staff have been trained to trap leopards in the cage. Sources further said that three leopards have been trapped earlier and added that the cage with a bait has been placed to trap the leopards now. 

BEML Mysuru Complex is spread over more than 450 acres and there is a testing track surrounded by dense vegetation including giant trees where the leopards tend to find a safe haven. 

None of the employees venture to the testing track side and all activities are near the manufacturing complex, and the leopards avoid it. Though leopards have been caged and released back into the wild from BEML Complex in the past, the space tends to be occupied by other leopards and they thrive on stray dogs and cattle besides poultry waste dumped on the outskirts of the city.