Ahmedabad: On Sunday night, while much of the city was glued to television screens, settling in for the FIFA World Cup final, two siblings stepped out to buy snacks for the match. Little did Purnendu and Vanshika Dhar know that the outing would turn into a brush with one of nature’s most elusive predators and a story they would recount for years. What followed was as unnerving as it was extraordinary.“It was around 1.05am on Monday. We were returning home on VIP Road with the snacks. After all, it was the final,” recalled Purnendu.As their car rolled along a dimly lit society road, the beam of the headlights caught the silhouette of a large animal ahead. At first, nothing seemed unusual. “Our first thought was that it was a nilgai, as blue bulls are not uncommon in the area,” he said.But as the vehicle edged closer, the reality of what stood before them slowly came into focus. “We noticed distinct spots on its body. It then dawned upon us that this was no nilgai, but a leopard,” said Vanshika.Purnendu instinctively hit the brakes. The leopard stopped too. “For a few seconds, everything seemed frozen,” he said. “It stood there on the road divider. The distance between the big cat and our car was barely 10 feet. We were looking directly at each other. It was an unforgettable moment.”Bathed in the glare of the headlights, the leopard held its ground briefly before springing across the road and vanishing into the darkness. “It was probably startled by the headlights,” Purnendu added.The siblings cautiously drove ahead, hoping to capture a photograph. “We wanted some proof of the sighting,” said Vanshika. “But by then, it had disappeared.”Realising the potential danger to residents, they immediately alerted society security personnel and shared a warning on the residents’ WhatsApp group. Their father, Manoj Dhar, further circulated the message among members of the society.Purnendu said the sighting may never have happened had football not intervened. “We usually do not step out so late. Had it not been for the World Cup final, we would never have been on that road at that hour, and the leopard might have gone unnoticed until someone checked CCTV footage later.”For Vanshika, the immediate concern was the safety of residents. “We were particularly worried about people who walk their dogs after midnight,” she said. “We wanted everyone to be alert so that no one came face-to-face with the leopard.”
