Leopard triggers panic at Tirumala hills

​Tirupati: A leopard triggered a panic of sorts among residents in Balaji Nagar,Tirumala hills, since the big cat was sighted prowling near the LPG gas godown late on Saturday night. A resident of Balaji Nagar, who was returning home was shell-shocked to witness the leopard moving at a distance.

By the time the forest staff arrived at the spot, the big cat seems to have slipped into the forests. The forest personnel who noticed the pug marks confirmed the movement of the leopard in the area.

However, they told the residents that the leopard is generally not harmful unless provoked but wanted them to be alert. As the leopard was found moving in the area since the last two weeks, the colony which is the biggest habitation of the locals having a population of about five thousand is virtually in the grip of fear.

Forest department sources said that there as many as 30 leopards in the Seshachalam forest and maintained that they rarely stray into human habitation.