Jamshedpur: Railway personnel and locals have been asked to stay alert after a section of locals and railway employees allegedly sighted a leopard close to Tatanagar railway yard and its adjoining areas late on Tuesday. The feline, locals claimed, then strayed into a house in Makhdumpur on Wednesday.“I was completely panicked to see it under the cot inside my house. However, it fled instantly when I screamed,” said Abha Devi, a resident of Munsibadi, said. The animal was then said to have been sighted near the Jojobera railway line.The straying of the suspected leopard into the residential area has driven the police to increase patrolling, while forest officials are conducting surveillance. The foresters said that they have stated surveillance in the entire area round-the-clock.“A team of five officials have been deputed to search of the animal. Five trap cameras have also been installed to capture its movement and track the location,” divisional forest officer (DFO), Saba Alam, said, adding that the pug marks will be examined for confirming the animal. He however did not rule out the possibility of a leopard but stated that it could also be a wild cat.Late on Tuesday, Tatanagar railway employee Rahul Kumar was the first person to spot the animal as he was trying to guide the Tata-Chapra train on the platform when he claimed to have seen the animal moving into the bushes near the yard. “Due to the darkness and distance, I couldn’t clearly see it. However, it appeared to be a leopard,” he said.Immediately, the Railway Protection Force and Govt Railway Police (GRP) at Tatanagar were alerted, and Jamshedpur forest division officials were called for surveillance. The railways have advised its employees and public to remain alert.“We have advised all against walking alone in the area. Employees have been instructed to carry a torch and stick,” said Sameer Saurabh, area railway manager at Tatanagar. Two years ago, a leopard triggered panic after it was spotted in the neighbouring Adityapur industrial area before wandering into Kadma’s biodiversity park in March 2024, keeping forest officials on high alert for days.
