Kathmandu, January 22

A leopard on the prowl today entered a house in Kirtipur, triggering panic among the people for more than eight hours before police and Central Zoo officials fired a tranquiliser dart to take it under control.

It is the second rescue of leopard in Kathmandu in less two weeks. A wandering leopard was rescued unharmed from a New Baneshwor-based house on January 9.

An official at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Kirtipur said the leopard, was first spotted by Hirakaji Maharjan, a morning walker, in Khasi Bazaar of Kirtipur at around 6:00 am. The wild beast pounced on Hirakaji (69) as the elderly person encountered it in the wee hours.

The official informed that the victim had suffered a minor maul injury and was out of danger. The leopard sneaked into a house of Dharma Maharjan in an apparent move to escape any potential danger after more than 100 locals wielding batons and iron rods gathered outside the house.

Frightened people ran out of house at the sight of the leopard and informed the police about the incident. However, the leopard did not attack any one in the house. A team deployed from the MPC called the zoo officials to capture and rescue the wild beast unharmed.

The official, who was one of the law enforcement officers to be deployed to the site, said the leopard was taken under control at around 2:00 pm. The leopard is in the custody of zoo and will be set free in one of the jungles on the outskirts of the Valley.

The leopard is suspected of having strayed into the human settlement from Chobhar or Shivapuri forests in search of food. As per the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, massive deforestation has been adding to human-wildlife conflicts prompting them to stray out of their natural habitat for food.