Day After Shela Sighting, Leopard Now ‘Spotted’ in Zundal of Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: Just a day after a leopard was spotted wandering in the Shela area of the city, another leopard sighting has now been reported from the Jhundal-Chandkheda area late Monday night. The two sightings, reported from locations over 25 km apart, come as the Forest Department continues its search-and-rescue operation and has set up cages in the Shela-Bopal-Ghuma belt.

According to local residents, the leopard was seen around 2 am near Madhav Homes while moving from Jhundal towards Chandkheda. People present near a roadside café claimed to have photographed the animal and shared the image with the Forest Department.

Nishant Patel, the owner of the café, said the establishment remains open late into the night and several people witnessed the leopard.“We saw the leopard around 2 am and managed to click a photograph. We have sent the picture to the Forest Department and informed the officials,” he said.

Earlier, a leopard was spotted inside Serendeep Mansions Society in Shela at around 2 am on July 19. CCTV footage showed the animal entering a bungalow by jumping over the compound wall before being chased away by stray dogs, triggering panic among residents of Shela, Ghuma and Bopal.

On July 20, the Forest Department conducted a day-long search operation in and around Shela-Ghuma but could not trace the animal. Forest officials said male leopards are capable of covering distances ranging from 5 km to 50 km in a single night and believe the animal may have already moved out of the area. As a precaution, surveillance cameras, cages and field teams will remain deployed over the next week to monitor the situation and ensure public safety.

Meanwhile, the latest reported sighting in the Jhundal-Chandkheda area, around 26 km from Shela, has raised questions over whether it is the same leopard seen earlier or a different animal. Forest officials are yet to verify the authenticity of the latest sighting or confirm whether the two incidents are linked. DeshGujarat