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A male leopard entered and was seen wandering inside a residential apartment complex of Sector 33 in Sohna near Gurugram on the morning of January 12, 2025.
The animal was rescued from the sewage treatment plant of the complex premises by a combined team of non-profit Wildlife SOS and the Haryana Forest Department, a statement by the organisation said.
The animal was examined, deemed fit and released back into the wild.
The residents of the housing complex were the first to spot the leopard. They informed the forest department, which in turn, informed the organisation.
The leopard was found to be stranded inside one corner of the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) of the property.
“In a novel method, employing a creative and minimally invasive technique, the team used a high-pressure water jet to gently guide the leopard toward the exit point. A trap cage was set up and placed near the exit point; as soon as the leopard moved toward the exit, the animal walked inside the trap cage and was safely secured after a 4-hour-long operation,” the statement noted.
The leopard was found to be healthy, active and alert, as per Abhishek Kumar Singh, veterinary officer, Wildlife SOS.
“Initially we thought of tranquilising the leopard but decided against it. It takes at least 10-15 minutes for the anaesthetic to take effect, following the sedation. But after becoming unconscious, it could have put the animal’s life at risk and the leopard could have drowned. So we thought of this approach which prioritised the animal’s safety while minimising stress to the trapped leopard,” the statement quoted Singh.
The individual turned out to be a male, approximately 6-7 years old. After examination, the animal was transported to a nearby forest of the Aravallis and released back into the wild.
“As the area is surrounded by the Aravalli forest, it is a natural habitat for wild animals such as leopards. Leopards can stray inside human settlements as these natural habitats are fragmented by urbanisation,” the statement quoted Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS.