Smriti Van opened for visitors even when panthers not caught

Smriti Van Bio-diversity Park was opened for visitors today even as the authorities are not confirmed whether the three panthers that had entered the area on March 6, are still there.
A decline in footfall was today recorded at the park, which was reopened after about 10 days.
Nearly 400 people visit the park in daily but today the footfall was close to 200, a forest official said.
The officer said the visitors are being distributed pamphlets cautioning them to be alert during their visit and being asked to not cross certain boundaries, where the panther movement is likely.
Nearly 20 forest department officials are camping in the park to track the panther movement that perhaps have found better prey area in the park than the Jhalana forest.

"SmritiVanhas dense population of wild rabbits. It is a protected area and panthers have accommodated well in the park. We have seen movement of two adult panthers and one cub on Saturday night.

"We have put a cage in the park but attempts have remained unsuccessful to trap them," another official had said.
On March 5 midnight, the movement of a female panther and a cub on VIP JLN Marg leading to the Jaipur International Airport had created panic among the commuters.
However, amid the headlights of vehicles and the flash of phone cameras, the panthers slipped into the biodiversity park.

Few onlookers had provided the photographs to the forest officials who launched a search to track the panthers.