A distress call was made from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) to the Forest Department after a leopard was allegedly sighted on its campus located in Powai. The animal was spotted on Monday, November 21, and on November 22, an official from the Forest Department confirmed the fact.
"A distress call was made to the Forest Department on Monday morning and a team was sent to the spot to investigate if the sighting was of concern," the official said. "Leopards are generally nocturnal. Sightings during the day are not very common," he added, as per a report by PTI.
"However, as the IIT-B is located close to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, there are chances of sightings during the day too. Moreover, with the drop in temperature in the last 48 hours and the cold wave alert, leopards can be spotted during the day," he said further.
The Forest Department is now on high alert. "Our teams are investigating and initiating all necessary actions, we appeal to the students, staff, the IIT management and other citizens not to panic," the official said. He also urged people to report any wildlife distress incident to the forest department's control room number 1926, as per the PTI report.
