A leopard that had sparked fear across the outskirts of Hyderabad, particularly in the Gandipet and Chilkur areas, was finally captured by forest officials on Thursday. The healthy adult male feline was trapped overnight after it walked into a cage placed inside the Forest Trek Park at Chilkur, lured by a live bait. Forest officials, who had been closely monitoring the leopard’s movement for nearly three weeks, confirmed the successful capture and stated that the animal will undergo health checks at Nehru Zoological Park before being released into the wild.

The leopard had first been spotted 20 days ago inside a nursery maintained by the Telangana State Medicinal Plants Board in Chilkur. Since then, multiple sightings had alarmed residents in nearby localities and prompted authorities to step up patrolling and install trap cages in forested pockets. Although no human-wildlife conflict was reported during this period, the presence of the big cat caused schools to restrict outdoor activity and local farmers to halt work during late hours.

Officials emphasized that the leopard appeared in good physical condition and showed no signs of injury or stress during the capture. Its return to a natural habitat, after veterinary examination, is expected to be swift. The successful operation reflects growing efforts by Telangana’s Forest Department to safely manage increasing human-wildlife interactions in expanding urban areas.