On a day when its pupils were enjoying their weekly holiday, a school near Whitefield was the centre stage to get a leopard on Sunday along with a tense encounter between Woods officials. During the almost 10-hour-long drama, two people were injured prior to the leopard was tranquilised around the school premises.

CCTV camera footage showing the big cat skulking through the corridors of the institution as well as entering the kitchen, supported their panic.

Forest Department staff were called in, and two teams were formed to scour the school.”It was an 8-year-old full grown male leopard. However, after officials spotted it in a neighbouring copse — which they said was common for a leopard that’s lost its way. But as they approached it, the trapped feline fled across an empty field and bound back into the school.”We tried to lock it in an area, but the windows close to the roof were covered by a flimsy net. It managed to push on its way outside and bound to a different room. Even there, it pushed through the net and leapt out… those were nervous moments,” said Mr. Ralf.

The tense drama took a violent turn when Woods officials shot the leopard with tranquiliser darts. But before the tranquiliser could kick in, the trapped feline, maybe scared from the presence of the men encircling it, went on an attacking spree. In panic, it started to charge at Forest officials in the school. One of the people assaulted was wildlife conservationist Sanjay Gubbi, who have been called to the scene by Forest Department officials. Among the injured, a motorist was also in the melee.

Wildlife conservationist Sanjay Gubbi attempted to escape by scaling a wall but was dragged down by the leopard. Eventually, the leopard that was drugged made its way to your changing room and failed there. After an hour of waiting, and verifying the leopard was in fact asleep, it was covered with a web and taken from the school.”It has been kept for treatment and observation in the rescue center of the Bannerghatta Biological Park,” said Santosh Kumar, Park Director. A call will be taken by the Forest Department on its relocation on Monday.