Due to lockdown and reduction in vehicular traffic and human activities, the movement of wild animals has increased on roads and the agriculture fields in Haryana.

After Yamunanagar, leopard was spotted in agriculture fields of Kurukshetra’s Harmirpur village around 12 km to 15 km from the city, officials said.

Senior Forest officers said that a team has been formed and its members have been patrolling Harmirpur village and the nearby villages to catch the leopard and take it back to the forests. As of now, the leopard has not been caught.

Leopard spotting in the peak of harvest season, has triggered fear amongst farmers and workers.

Alarmed, the local residents of Harmirpur alerted the forest officials on Sunday about the presence of a leopard in the areas. According to villagers, the big cat climbed a tree and later went towards a maize field. But, it has not harmed anyone so far. It is rare to see a leopard in these areas, villagers said, demanding that the local administration should keep a vigil so that wild animals such as leopard don’t enter the fields and human habitations in the area.

Talking to The Pioneer, Kurukshetra DFO (Wildlife) Shiv Singh said over the phone on Monday that a 25-member team of the Wildlife Department reached the village after being informed about the same and laid traps to catch the leopard. The officials have been patrolling nearby villages.

When contacted Rampal Singh, Sub-Inspector Wildlife, Kurukshetra, said, “A young leopard was spotted by villagers and officials were deployed to catch it. We have not sighted the leopard yet, but we have saw  some pugmarks of the animal.”

Singh said as per the pugmarks, a leopard entered a five-six feet tall maize crop field and but did not come out of that field. Two cages have been kept to trap the animal. He said, “After being informed, we have been patrolling the areas since Sunday. Two to three vehicles are permanently stationed in the village and four to five officials are patrolling. We have also asked villagers to be alert and careful while they venture out at night.”

The team members would search for the leopard for another few days and ensure the animal has left the area, he said, adding that there are veterinary doctors and experts ready to tranquilise the leopard.

Due to lockdown, the local police have already restricted the movement of residents. Efforts are on to rescue the leopard, he said, adding that as per our experience, the leopard will not make a move during the day time but in the night. The team members are keeping a close eye on the leopard’s movement. Once leopard feels safe to move after reduced human movement, it will make movement and we are manning the same.

On April 15, a leopard had entered Partap Nagar town in Yamunanagar district, where it injured a farm labourer Raj Kumar of Kutipur village of the district, when he attempted to bury a dead dog hunted by the predator. The field labourer shouted for help and picked up a stick to scare the leopard. Hearing his cries, workers from adjoining fields rushed to his aid and tried to drive the animal away, but it hid itself in standing wheat crop nearby.

A senior forest official said that since the enforcement of lockdown, leopards have been spotted on roads, agriculture areas and forest range. In this situation, there are possibilities of human-wild animal confrontations. “We urge the general public that if any wild animal is spotted, it should be given priority for passage to avoid any conflict. We as humans can understand lockdown but the animal does not know anything this and due to a reduction in human activity, the wildlife starts exploring new areas.”