A leopard has evaded all capture attempts for the fifth consecutive day in the Bharath Nagar residential locality of the Byadarahalli region on the outskirts of Bengaluru, deepening fear among residents and drawing sharp criticism of the Karnataka Forest Department's handling of the crisis as of Monday, 13 July.

How the Operation Has Unfolded

Forest officials had placed a baited cage — using live chickens as lure — in an effort to trap the animal. The attempt backfired when stray dogs, not the leopard, walked into the trap. Officials subsequently shifted the cage to a different location, but the big cat has continued to roam the area unchecked.

According to residents, the leopard has been sighted on at least three occasions in recent days — on Thursday, Friday, and again on Sunday — each time entering residential zones from a nearby park that features dense vegetation and thick undergrowth. Local MLA S.T. Somashekar intervened and arranged for the clearing of the park's vegetation following the initial sightings, but the leopard was reportedly spotted again even after the clean-up.

Residents Speak Out

'The leopard is being sighted once every few days and has repeatedly entered residential areas. The Forest Department has merely placed a cage and washed its hands of the matter. There are hardly any officials present on the ground. If the leopard attacks someone, who will be responsible?' a resident said.

Another resident flagged the vulnerability of children and women in particular. 'Children are scared and women are reluctant to step out of their homes, especially in the evenings. The Forest Department needs to do more than just place a cage. Officials should coordinate with residents who have CCTV cameras and use the footage to track the leopard's movement and plan the operation more effectively,' the resident added.

Parks and public spaces that once drew large evening gatherings now stand largely deserted. The East West College, located near the sighting zone, has declared a holiday in response to the ongoing threat.

What Residents Are Demanding

Locals are calling for the installation of additional cages, round-the-clock patrolling, and active coordination with households that have CCTV surveillance to map the animal's movement patterns. The persistent presence of the leopard has also reduced vehicle movement in parts of the locality after dark, disrupting everyday life.

Wider Human-Wildlife Conflict in Karnataka

The Bengaluru incident is not isolated. In Chamarajanagar district, farmers staged a protest outside the office of the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), demanding immediate action against leopards and tigers allegedly straying into villages from the forests of Male Mahadeshwara Hills and Biligirirangana Hills.

Protesters alleged that ageing big cats are increasingly venturing into agricultural fields and settlements due to habitat loss and inadequate prey availability within forest reserves. They accused the Forest Department of failing to implement scientific habitat management measures and recalled assurances made by a former Forest Minister to establish a dedicated wildlife vigilance mechanism — promises they say remain unfulfilled.

Protesters warned that if authorities failed to act, they would intensify their agitation. The twin flashpoints — urban Bengaluru and rural Chamarajanagar — signal a broadening human-wildlife conflict across Karnataka that wildlife managers and the state government will need to address urgently.