Spotted: Leopard that strayed into Maruti campus rescued
Gurgaon:
A three-year-old
female leopard
that had strayed into
Maruti Suzuki's research and development campus
in Rohtak was rescued early on Saturday. Around 4.30am, the big cat — which traded wilderness for the world of automobiles — walked into one of four strategically placed cages, drawn by a small goat that was put there to bait the animal.
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The successful capture coincided with
World Leopard Day
on May 3. Forest officials said the
leopard
was found to be in good health, and released into Kalesar National Park later that day.
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'It walked into the cage where a goat was placed as bait late at night. This is the safest method to trap a leopard. The animal is healthy, and we are taking it to be released in Kalesar National Park,' divisional forest officer (Rohtak) Vijender Gill told
TOI.
'These cages are designed with a bait placed at one end to lure the leopard inside. Once the leopard steps into the cage, the door shuts because of the animal's weight, safely capturing it without harming the bait, which remains in a separate compartment,' he added.
So, why did the leopard stray into human territory? 'Look at the heat. Plus, there is no water in the canal. This could force wild animals to venture into human territory,' Gill said.
According to him, this was the first time that a leopard strayed into human habitat in Rohtak.
The sighting of the leopard, which entered the campus late on Thursday night, had triggered fear and anxiety among employees and officials, prompting immediate action by both the forest department and company management. A two-day shutdown was announced as well.
The leopard, officials said, had scaled an 8ft high wall, using a tree adjacent to the boundary, to enter the 600-acre facility located in IMT Baliyana.
According to the forest department, CCTV footage confirmed the leopard's presence early on Friday, amid concerns about whether the animal was still on the premises. The Maruti facility, known for housing vehicle testing labs and a 31km-long track, lies close to agricultural land and shrinking natural habitats — an increasingly common setting for human-wildlife encounters.
In 2017, forest officials deployed traps and conducted extensive searches for a leopard at
Maruti Suzuki
's Manesar plant. The animal was safely rescued. The Manesar plant is located near the Aravali foothills — an area that has historically served as a wildlife corridor but is now increasingly fragmented by roads, buildings, and factories.
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