Mysuru: Fear gripped the residents near the JSS Dental College at Cauvery Nagar near Bannimantap, amid  reports of movement of a leopard on Friday morning.

The leopard might have strayed into the village from the forest region and people need not be afraid as forest officials were trying to send it into the deep forest, said DCF of Mysuru Forest region Karikalan.

Speaking about the frequent entry of leopards to city and villages he said, “It is due the non-vegetarian waste which are not segregated.“In past 11 months, we have captured 16 leopards which had come out of forests,” he said.

Forest officials created awareness regarding the wild cat’ movement among people and have been deployed at various locations for safety measures, he said. They placed a cage in the area, and remained in the region searching  for the leopard.