Gurgaon: A leopard has been spotted inside the Jhabua forest patch in Rewari, the same one that a wandering Sariska tiger — ST-23030 — had made its home for several months in 2024, triggering a long wildlife operation to relocate it. The forest department on Wednesday sent six camera traps which will be set up to track the leopard’s movement and establish its location before attempting to capture it.The leopard was first spotted at the farms of Haryana Agricultural University (HAU)’s regional centre in Bawal, where a cage was installed after the sighting. It remained in the area for a day before moving towards Jhabua, around 20km away. Wildlife officials said pugmarks found in the area helped trace its route.“Our team has identified the pugmarks. We have sent six camera traps to the area. The team will install them to track the animal’s movement and establish whether it is a male, female or is it alone or with a young animal. We need to identify the areas it frequents before deciding where to place a cage,” divisional wildlife officer RK Jangra told TOI.Officials said the department is keeping a watch as the leopard is unlikely to remain in one location. The Jhabua forest, spread across around 750 acres, had earlier drawn attention when Sariska’s tiger ST-2303 reached the area two years ago. The tiger was later shifted to Rajasthan’s Ramgarh reserve several months after the animal stayed there.The leopard’s presence has raised concern because Jhabua is largely surrounded by agricultural plains, while the Aravalis are 70-80km away.Residents have complained to the wildlife department that HAU campus had around 10 dogs, none of which has been seen since the leopard was spotted. However, officials have not confirmed whether the dogs were attacked by the animal.A wildlife department team inspected the campus and nearby areas after receiving information about the sighting. As a precaution, a cage was installed at the college on Tuesday. Security guards have been asked to remain in groups, stay alert and carry torches while on duty. CCTV cameras were not operational when a guard first spotted the animal. The leopard later moved towards Jhabua.“The Jhabua forest supports wildlife, including deer, jackals and wild boars, potentially providing prey for the leopard,” said Jangra.
