Patna, Oct 26 (IANS): A leopard was spotted on the Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) premises located at the Air Force station in Patna's Bihta, prompting immediate closure of the school until further notice.

The leopard was captured on the school's CCTV camera on Thursday night.

The Air Force station, which spans thousands of acres, provides ample cover for wildlife, complicating efforts to locate and safely capture the wild cat.

The Forest Department, in coordination with Indian Air Force (IAF) officials, has deployed a team with extensive resources to locate the leopard. However, despite extensive efforts, the team has not yet succeeded in locating the wild cat.

"We have been using nets and cages strategically placed around the area to facilitate a safe capture. The Forest Department is taking precautions to ensure the leopard's capture with minimal risk to residents, staff, and the animal itself," a Forest Department official said on Saturday.

The school remained closed as a safety measure, and search efforts are ongoing to address the situation quickly and ensure the safety of all involved, the official added.

This isn't the first time that a leopard has been spotted in the area.

In 2020, a leopard was seen on a CCTV camera at the same location. At that time, a 15-member team of the Forest Department, working closely with IAF officials, managed to capture the wild cat.

The latest leopard sighting raised concerns about wild cat wandering into populated areas near Patna, prompting a renewed focus on safety protocols and wildlife monitoring to prevent future incidents.