Siliguri, 29th August: Panic spread in the area adjacent to Sri Guru Vidyamandir School under Siliguri’s Ward No. 46 on Wednesday night, following reports of a leopard sighting. The news caused widespread fear among residents, prompting an immediate response from the Sarugara and Baikunthapur forest department personnel, as well as officers from Pradhan Nagar police station.
A search operation was launched by the forest department to capture the alleged leopard, but no such animal was found. To assist in the investigation, Kaustav Chaudhary, Executive Director of SNAP, an organization dedicated to wildlife conservation, arrived at the scene along with the Sukna Squad of Darjeeling Wildlife.
Upon examining the footprints found in the area, the forest department determined that the tracks belonged to a wild cat, not a leopard. This revelation brought relief to the local community, who had been on edge due to the initial reports.
Kaustav Chaudhary confirmed that the footprints were indeed those of a wild cat, dispelling the fears of a leopard in the vicinity. Sarugara Range Ranger Sanjay Raut also confirmed that the search operation was called off after it was determined that the supposed leopard was, in fact, a wild cat.