2 leopards spotted near Pilibhit collectorate; DM takes cognisance

Pilibhit: The presence of two adult leopards near the district collectorate campus has sparked concern among residents and officials, after forest teams confirmed their movement late Saturday night.Following information from residents in Bakhshpur village, located barely 500m from the collectorate, a field team led by deputy range officer Sher Singh inspected the area at 10pm and identified pug marks measuring 9 x 9 cm, confirming the animals were adults.The collectorate campus is flanked by the officers' colony on one side and the reserve police lines and police colony on the other. Its proximity to the Khakra river has heightened the risk, as leopards and tigers tend to move along rivers for dispersal when they stray outside forests.Pilibhit tiger reserve (PTR) field director Pinaki Prasad Singh visited the site and directed staff to place two cages with live bait. District magistrate Gyanendra Singh also took serious cognisance of the situation, instructing forest authorities to deploy special teams to track and rescue the leopards using darting procedures.DFO Bharat Kumar DK emphasised the need for coexistence with wildlife, while issuing safety guidelines to villagers to prevent conflict. Deputy range officer Sher Singh told TOI that the leopards killed stray dogs in Rampuria village, about a km from Bakhshpur, four to five days earlier before moving closer to the collectorate.