Leopard enters Suzuki plant, production hit

A young leopard that strayed into the Suzuki Powertrain at Manesar in Haryana early on Thursday remained untraced despite a vigorous hunt for the animal. Production in the plant has been hit.

Four teams of Wildlife and Forest officials that reached the plant in the morning carrying nets and tranquilizer to rescue the big cat failed to trace the animal.

The rescue team placed goats inside a cage to woo the leopard but there was no sign of it.

The engine manufacturing section of the company was cordoned off and an atmosphere of night was created during the day so that the leopard comes out.

"Production work in the engine manufacturing unit remained suspended during A and B shifts. The situation will remain the same until the leopard is traced and rescued," a workers union leader who did not wish to be named told IANS.

Over 500 workers reached the company for B shift around 3 p.m. but were not allowed to enter the factory.

The animal entered the premises of Suzuki Powertrain India Ltd in Sector 8 (Phase 1) of Tau Devilal Industrial Model Township (IMT) at Manesar on the Delhi-Jaipur-Mumbai highway.

Fearing an attack, the management halted production.

Security guard Dhramvir Singh spotted the leopard around 2.30 a.m. near the guard room and raised an alarm.

Production was stopped immediately as over 350 workers came out of the factory fearing an attack.

The Suzuki Powertrain and car plant, spread over 750 acres in the foothills of the Aravali mountain range, makes diesel engines for Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) cars. It makes over 1,200 engines in a single shift.

"There are too many huge machines in the factory and the leopard might hide under one of them," a forest officer told IANS.

He said the leopard was caught in the CCTV cameras installed at the factory.

--IANS

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