A huge display board citing leopard on prowl is erected at Sri Venkateswara University campus in Tirupati on Friday, after a big cat made an appearance a couple of times.
| Photo Credit: K V Poornachandra Kumar

A single leopard has been sighted for ten to fifteen times in the peripheral areas of the city abutting the Tirumala hills over the last three months, giving sleepless nights to the resident students of various educational institutions dotting the region.

The lone animal was sighted last in Sri Venkateswara University, Sri Venkateswara Vedic University and Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, all contiguous campuses dotting the Alipiri – Cherlopalli road.

The animal is learnt to have been foraying into the region in search of dogs. The unused food from the campus hostels dumped in the public is said to be attracting stray dogs, which have multiplied in the recent months.

“Leopards move into human habitations only in search of food. The habitat has to be maintained clean so as to keep the area clear of stray dogs. There is no need to capture this leopard as it has not harmed any human so far. It has carefully avoided the places where men are around. It is only the psychological fear that has driven the humans to panic”, says the Divisional Forest Officer (Tirupati Wildlife Management Circle) P. Vivek.

However, in view of the frequent sighting of the animal and to relocate it deep into the woods, the department is considering installing cages across SVU campus to capture it.

Elephant on ghat road

On the other hand, a stray elephant has been sighted on the Tirumala first ghat road near the 7^th mile point a few days back. It is the second time in the last six months that the tusker had attempted to cross the ghat road.

“Had it crossed over to this side, it would have been a big danger for both the elephant as well as the pilgrims”, Mr. Vivek observed. The department is leaving no stone unturned to push it back into the valley forest.