More than 1 leopard in NTPC complex? Expert team called

GREATER NOIDA: After the recent spotting of pug marks of a leopard in Dadri, the Noida divisional forest officer has called in the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) to the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) complex in the area to investigate if there could be more than one leopard, and also any cubs, taking shelter in and around the complex.
According to K K Singh, Noida DFO, "There have been sighting of leopard pug marks for months.But we cannot be sure whether the big cat is alone or has a mate or cubs. We installed CCTV cameras in several places in and around the NTPC. Cages and bait are also being used to trap the cats," he said.
He said, "But, so far, they have eluded us. Even local security teams have been used to scan the dense jungle area, most of which is in the NTPC complex. No leopards sighted in western UP districts have been known to attack humans in recent years."
Singh said the leopard or leopards might be eating dogs, wild boar and deer in the power corporation complex. Leopard sightings have also been reported from Patla township. "These cats are mostly nocturnal and are not known to attack humans. But we are not taking any chances, which is why we called the WTI," he said.
NTPC public relations chief Pankaj Saxena said, "The NTPC complex has 2,000 houses, so you can imagine the number of people living here. Most of the complex is forest area. The leopards have been eating our dogs and this has left residents and officials petrified. We would like to see the cats trapped soon. Even our own combing of the dense area led to nothing."
Belinda Wright, the director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said, "Leopards are coming out because forest area is dwindling. But they have not been known to attack humans in recent months. However, they are great survivors and can live for years around human habitations."