A leopard strayed into Vidhyadhar Nagar Colony, an outer area of the Pink City, on Saturday and injured three people before being tranquillised and rescued in a five-hour-long operation by wildlife sleuths.

The big cat, a grown cub, had strayed into Sector 2 of the densely populated locality in the city, likely from the bordering Nahargarh foothills.

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The panther was initially spotted in a park on Saturday afternoon and later seen walking on roads, boundary walls of buildings, through bushes, and climbing trees in the park.

Soon, veterinarian specialist Dr Arvind Mathur, along with wildlife department officials and the police, rushed to the spot to tranquillise and safely rescue the strayed animal.

The arrival of officials provided a sense of security to the locals, who had gathered on the road and were chasing the animal during its free run.

The leopard was fast shifting its location, forcing the veterinary team, foresters, and the crowd to chase it.

After almost five hours of chasing, wildlife sleuths succeeded in trapping the panther in the washroom of a government rest house.

The process of tranquillising the panther was also difficult. Dr Mathur had to attempt five to six tranquilliser shots before finally succeeding. Once tranquillised, the big cat was safely taken into custody by the wildlife sleuths.

In the meantime, the wild animal attacked and bit a youth on his forearm. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Later, while authorities were trying to tranquillise the leopard, it injured a guard and an officer.

The chaotic running of onlookers delayed the process, with authorities facing difficulty in persuading the crowd to clear the area.