After 45 days, leopard spotted inside Lucknow factory rescued

Lucknow: A three-year-old male leopard was successfully rescued from Tata Motors compound on Deva Road, Chinhat, under Kukrail Range of Awadh Forest Division on Thursday early morning.
It was first spotted by factory workers on the premises 45 days ago. The success came after a high-tech operation, combining advanced surveillance and meticulous ground coordination, said divisional forest officer (DFO) Sitanshu Pandey, who led the operation on the ground under the direction of additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF) Renu Singh. At the heart of the operation was the strategic use of high-definition CCTV camera traps and infrared motion sensors, installed at multiple potential leopard hotspots within the corridor area.
"These camera traps provided real-time monitoring, allowing the team to observe the animal's movement patterns without disturbing its natural behaviour," said the DFO. Pandey said that over five camera traps and three reinforced metal cages were deployed across a grid of the suspected movement zone.
"Each camera trap was networked to a control centre where forest officials tracked footage around the clock. Data collected from the cameras was used to analyse the leopard's routes, preferred hideouts, and time of activity, which proved crucial in narrowing down the most likely capture locations," he said. "While technology provided eyes in the wild, it was the ground team's relentless patrolling and sharp coordination that ensured the operation's success. Officers and forest guards conducted daily foot patrols, scanning pugmarks, scat, and other signs of presence. Patrols were also carried out during odd hours to avoid human interference and reduce stress on the animal," said Pandey, adding, "Our goal was to ensure the safety of both the leopard and the surrounding population."
Once the animal was lured into one of the strategically placed cages, it was tranquilised and examined by veterinary experts.
"The leopard is in good health and under observation. Pending clearance, we will release it in Katarniaghat Wildlife Division in Bahraich," the DFO said.
The core team consisted of deputy divisional forest officer Hari Lal, range forest officer Kamlesh Kumar, deputy range officer Atijit Joshi, forest inspector Aneesh Chandra and field assistant Vanshidhar Srivastava.
Lucknow: A three-year-old male leopard was successfully rescued from Tata Motors compound on Deva Road, Chinhat, under Kukrail Range of Awadh Forest Division on Thursday early morning.
It was first spotted by factory workers on the premises 45 days ago. The success came after a high-tech operation, combining advanced surveillance and meticulous ground coordination, said divisional forest officer (DFO) Sitanshu Pandey, who led the operation on the ground under the direction of additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF) Renu Singh. At the heart of the operation was the strategic use of high-definition CCTV camera traps and infrared motion sensors, installed at multiple potential leopard hotspots within the corridor area.
"These camera traps provided real-time monitoring, allowing the team to observe the animal's movement patterns without disturbing its natural behaviour," said the DFO. Pandey said that over five camera traps and three reinforced metal cages were deployed across a grid of the suspected movement zone.
"Each camera trap was networked to a control centre where forest officials tracked footage around the clock. Data collected from the cameras was used to analyse the leopard's routes, preferred hideouts, and time of activity, which proved crucial in narrowing down the most likely capture locations," he said. "While technology provided eyes in the wild, it was the ground team's relentless patrolling and sharp coordination that ensured the operation's success. Officers and forest guards conducted daily foot patrols, scanning pugmarks, scat, and other signs of presence. Patrols were also carried out during odd hours to avoid human interference and reduce stress on the animal," said Pandey, adding, "Our goal was to ensure the safety of both the leopard and the surrounding population."
Once the animal was lured into one of the strategically placed cages, it was tranquilised and examined by veterinary experts.
"The leopard is in good health and under observation. Pending clearance, we will release it in Katarniaghat Wildlife Division in Bahraich," the DFO said.
The core team consisted of deputy divisional forest officer Hari Lal, range forest officer Kamlesh Kumar, deputy range officer Atijit Joshi, forest inspector Aneesh Chandra and field assistant Vanshidhar Srivastava.