Leopard strays into agricultural university lab in western India, safely rescued
by Aditi VermaA leopard, which strayed from the nearby Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, caused a stir on the campus of an Agricultural University in western India’s Gujarat.
The incident took place at Junagadh Agricultural University in Junagadh on July 11.
Visuals showed on the campus, a leopard was roaming around, wandering here and there. People, frightened, had hidden inside buildings while recording videos of the leopard.
Students of the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (CAET) discovered the leopard when they arrived at their renewable energy laboratory for practicals around 8 am. Acting quickly, they confined the young male leopard, approximately one year old, in a section of the laboratory by closing the doors.
Prof V.P. Chovatia, the university’s vice-chancellor, commended the students’ prompt and composed response, which was a result of the university’s regular orientation sessions on the possible movement of wild carnivores on campus.
The university promptly informed local forest officials, and a rescue team led by Deputy Conservator of Forests Akshay Joshi arrived on the scene. The leopard was tranquilized and safely removed from the laboratory. “Our campus’s proximity to the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary means occasional sightings of leopards and lions, but they rarely enter buildings,” Joshi noted.
This incident marks the second occurrence in seven years of a leopard straying onto the JAU campus, following a similar event in 2017 when an adult leopard injured a security guard. Fortunately, no injuries were reported this time.
Prof Chovatia highlighted the importance of awareness programs, stating, “Students from across the country attend JAU, and not everyone is aware of the sanctuary’s proximity. Our orientation sessions are crucial in preparing them for such encounters.