Task Force conducts combing operation; no trace of leopard nor its pug marks

Mysuru: Tension gripped Kuvempunagar after a woman reported seeing a leopard climb the stairs of her neighbour’s house early this morning, prompting an immediate combing operation by Forest Department. The woman, Nagarathna, a resident near Vishwanandana Park behind New Kantharaj Urs Road, claimed that at around 5.35 am, she heard dogs barking incessantly. Peering out the window, she allegedly saw a leopard growling and climbing the stairs of her neighbour’s house. Alarmed, she quickly alerted her son.

However, when her son investigated, he found no sign of the animal. He then informed nearby residents, the Police and the Forest Department.

By 5.45 am, Forest Department officials, along with 20 personnel from the Leopard Task Force (LTF), arrived at the scene. Despite conducting a thorough combing operation till 9.45 am, they found no trace of the leopard or its pug marks around the house or nearby park.

The LTF team, equipped with a public address system, warned residents to remain indoors. The nearby Shiva Temple and a local school were closed for over an hour as the search continued.

Due to the absence of CCTV cameras in Nagarathna’s house and the surrounding area, the Forest Department collected footage from nearby cameras for further investigation. Kuvempunagar Inspector Arun, along with his team, assisted the LTF in the combing efforts.