Mumbai, April 2: A leopard, which was seen strolling near a highly populated area of Andheri in Mumbai, was rescued after five hours on Monday. Reports inform that the wild cat was tranquilized and taken away by the forest officials. According to reports, the leopard-a two-year-old cub, was found sleeping underneath a parked vehicle in the complex. Panicked by the its presence, the residents alerted police and forest department personnel to rescue the wild cat.

Reports inform that a rescue operation, involving forest staff from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and police was launched and the cub was trapped after a few hours. Deputy Conservator of Forests Jitendra Ramgaonkar tweeted confirming that the officials have rescued the cub.  Leopard Spotted Walking Near Residential Complex in Mumbai's Andheri Area; Watch Video. 

"In yet another successful rescue, teams from SNGP and Thane forest division have rescued a sub adult leopard cub from a housing complex in Marol, Andheri. Kudos to all staff and volunteers involved in the operation including media friends,” Ramgaonkar tweeted. Leopard Spotted Walking in Thane’s Korum Mall, Search Operation Underway; Watch Video.

As per reports, the leopard came from nearby Aarey forest in Goregoan area. It must be noted that the state government had earlier declared that it is not a forest. Reports quote wildlife expert and environmentalist saying that Aarey is a very dense forest.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 02, 2019 09:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).