Leopard scare on Darjeeling Raj Bhavan compound, camera traps set up

Darjeeling: The Wildlife Division of the forest department set up camera traps and a cage on the Darjeeling Raj Bhavan compound on Friday. Photographs of a leopard in the compound recently went viral on social media.

The photograph of the leopard was clicked by a Eastern Frontier Rifle (EFR) personnel who was on sentry duty.

"We have set up two camera traps and a cage with a bait in the Raj Bhavan compound. We are keeping a close watch on the situation," stated Jiju Jaesper J, Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Division.

Biju Thapa, the Eastern Frontier Rifle personnel, was on sentry duty a week ago.

"It was past midnight and I was alone in the guard house on gate 3 of Raj Bhavan. Suddenly an animal crossed the guard house. I thought it was a dog. On closer scrutiny I realised it was a leopard. I quickly clicked photographs using my phone. The leopard looked around and then jumped the gate and disappeared," Thapa said.

Incidentally the Raj Bhavan in Darjeeling is located in the heart of the town on the Chowrasta.

It has sprawling lawns and the compound includes forested stretches on the lower side contiguous with Shrubbery park and the Jawahar Parvat which houses the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.

The Gate 3 of the Raj Bhavan is opposite RKSP school.

Residences and offices of the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police and the Chief Minister's guest house "Richmond Hill" is also located in the vicinity.

Leopard sighting is not rare in Darjeeling. Especially in the winter months they wander into human habitat in search of easy prey like livestock and stray dogs.