Leopard which visited secretariat now shifted to Sasan Gir

A leopard which had strayed into the secretariat of Gujarat government in Gandhinagar was shifted to a rescue centre in Sasan Gir, around 400 km away, on Wednesday.

"It will be released in the core area of Gir," said Dushyant Vasavada, chief conservator of forests, Junagadh.

The Chief Wildlife Warden decided to shift the big cat far away instead of releasing it in forests near the state capital so that it does not return, he said.

The animal was fitted with a micro-chip as a marker of identity, he added.

A massive search and rescue operation was launched after the leopard was captured in a CCTV camera while entering the secretariat complex from under a locked gate around 2 AM Monday.

Hours later, it was found hiding in a culvert near Punit Van public park near the complex and was tranquillised and captured.