Leopard-like animal spotted in Chandigarh's Sector 5, police ask residents to stay indoors

A leopard-like animal was spotted in Chandigarh's upscale Sector 5 residential area on Monday morning, following which police made announcements in the area asking people to stay indoors.

Even though the police said the animal was a leopard, wildlife activists are not sure about the claim.

"After the leopard was spotted, we made announcements asking people to stay indoors," Station House Officer (SHO), Sector 3 Police Station, Inspector Jaspal Singh said.

However, wildlife activists said they were not sure that the animal was a leopard, adding that efforts were on to catch it.

Singh said the animal has entered a house in Sector 5.

"So far, the wild animal has not harmed anyone. After it was spotted in the morning, we alerted wildlife officials and now they are trying to take it out of the house safely," he told PTI.

The SHO said it was not immediately known from where the animal could have come.

With people staying indoors during the 21-day nationwide lockdown, wild animals, including endangered ones, have been spotted on the deserted streets at several places in the country over the past few days.

"On Sunday, I spotted a few stags crossing a road in the Sector 5 area," Singh said.