Kakinada: Forest officials were in midst of search operations on Sunday after a leopard was seen on surveillance camera moving around Lalacheruvu near Rajamahendravaram, East Godavari district, last week. The immediate threat seems to be on residents of Lalacheruvu Housing Board Colony.The forest department team looking for the big cat will be headed by Kakinada district forest officer Bharani. Doctors of Visakhapatnam Zoo and local forest officials have also joined the search operations. The leopard, based on its recorded image on Friday, is believed to about eight years old.Conservator of forests Srinivasa Reddy told Deccan Chronicle that the expert team has installed cameras in four locations to trace the animal. He said after catching the leopard, doctors will test its health and then experts will decide when it will be released into thick forested areas.Srinivasa Reddy felt floods may have forced the leopard to move into human settlements. He also said the reserve forest in Diwancheruvu in Rajanagaram mandal saw a leopard 10 years ago as well.District forest officer Bharani told the media that the people in Swaroopnagar, Padmavahinagar, Rupanagar, Sriramnagar, Tarakaramanagar, AP Housing Board Colony and in the vicinity should be alert and they should not move out of their homes after 6.00 pm.She said the leopard is moving near the Diwancheruvu reserve forest area.She said the officials can’t disclose how many days it will take to catch the animal.She requested the people to inform her team, if they have any information about the leopard on the toll free number: 18004295909.Rajanagaram MLA Bathula Bala Ramakrishna said the people must cooperate with the forest department officials.
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