The forest department will continue its combing operations in and around the Sachivalaya and other areas of Gandhinagar as a precaution, for a day or two. The step comes after a leopard entered the Sachivalaya on Monday.
The animal was later captured in the wilderness near the secretariat. It was tranquilised. The animal is believed to have been kept at Indroda Nature Park, although forest officials denied it.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest A K Saxena said, in areas where such instances are routine, the operation is stopped after the animal is captured. "But since this is not the case in this instance, we will continue combing the nearby areas for some time. It is also a drill for the department staff and part of the sanitation process," said Saxena.
"We believe the cat ventured out alone. But, we will be studying the pug marks, the route it took, any early warning of sightings etc to know how it ended up here. It is part of the protocol," said Saxena.
Another official in the know said that the leopard after being put under observation for some days will be released into the wild. "It is believed that the animal wandered off from Sabarkantha. Since it accidentally entered the sachivalaya, it will be released after some days as is the norm," said the official.
It should be noted that 'rogue' wildlife that is caught for attacking humans are often sent to rescue centres or zoos and not released in the wild.
An official said that the leopards are lone travellers but there have been instances of them sharing a journey for sometime. "It is also likely that the animal may have lost its way. That is also known to happen," said the official.
The leopard that entered the secretariat at around 1 am had been captured almost after 12 hours of operation by a joint team of 400 officials from the forest and police department.
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