Rewari: Fear over the suspected presence of a leopard in the Bawal area of Rewari district has prompted heightened security measures at the College of Agriculture (COA), a constituent of the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCS HAU), Hisar. Following reports of the animal’s movement, the university administration has closed both boys’ and girls’ hostels.Satyajeet Yadav, principal of the Bawal COA, said farm workers first noticed pugmarks suspected to be those of a leopard on November 7. The university administration subsequently alerted the forest department and local authorities. A forest department team inspected the premises and installed a cage near the university farm.The university has an agricultural farm spread across nearly 300 acres, along with separate hostels for boys and girls. Around 450 students normally reside in the two hostels. However, only four to five boys are currently staying in the boys’ hostel, and they have been instructed not to venture outside. Yadav said the university had declared holidays as a precautionary measure. If the situation persists, the administration will seek approval from higher authorities to conduct online classes.He added that Jhabua ki Beed, where the leopard has reportedly been sighted, is around 10 km from the college. A road from the campus also leads towards Khatiwas village, raising concerns about the animal potentially moving towards residential areas. The university gates are closed at 6 pm, with movement restricted until morning. CCTV cameras installed at the main entrance, hostel gates and other locations are also being monitored regularly.Divisional forest officer Ram Kumar Jangra said five camera traps had been installed in the Bawal area to monitor wildlife movement. Forest teams are keeping a close watch on the footage, which will be assessed after four to five days to establish the movement patterns of animals in the area.
