Vadodara: Tourists and locals near the Statue of Unity (SOU) got an unexpected glimpse of wildlife when a leopard was spotted calmly walking across a bridge near the river rafting facility at Khalwani village before disappearing into the surrounding landscape.The sighting, which occurred in the early hours two days ago, briefly sparked concern in the area. The rafting facility is located around 5 km from the Statue of Unity, one of Gujarat’s most visited tourist destinations.A labourer working near the bridge recorded the leopard on his mobile phone, and the video quickly circulated on social media, drawing attention from residents and visitors alike.Forest officials, however, said there was no cause for alarm and described the animal’s movement as a natural occurrence in a region that lies close to forest habitat.“The leopard may have ventured near the rafting site in search of water. It was spotted only once and has not been seen in the area since,” said Kirpalsinh Gohil, range forest officer, Rajpipla.Officials noted that leopard sightings are not uncommon in the forests surrounding the SOU region, where wildlife frequently moves through natural corridors. Forest department teams have been monitoring the area since the sighting, but no intervention has been deemed necessary.The sighting also brought back memories of an incident in 2024 when a young leopard breached the fencing of the Sardar Patel Zoological Park, popularly known as Jungle Safari, near the SOU. The animal killed a buck inside the park, while seven other bucks reportedly died of shock following the attack.
