Leopard search called off at Infosys' Mysuru campus; forest officials say animal likely moved out

Forest Officials and Guards at the Infosys Mysuru Campus

Karnataka forest department has called off the search for a leopard at the Infosys campus in Mysuru, 15 days after the animal was sighted triggering panic, deployment of drones and work-from-home instructions for trainees.

The animal likely moved out of the campus, forest department officials said. “As no direct or indirect evidence of the leopard has been found in the past 10 days, the operation has been suspended,” deputy conservator of forests (territorial) KN Basavaraj said on January 16.

On December 31, forest department officials confirmed a leopard was sighted on the 350-acre campus through CCTV footage. A task force was deployed to track and capture the animal.

After the sighting, the Bengaluru-based company asked employees to work from home and gave trainees two days off to track the elusive feline.

"For the past 10 days, no signs of the leopard, including footprints or other indications of its presence, have been detected through camera traps, drones, CCTV footage, or search operations," Basavaraj said.

Also read: Infosys provides a route map to trainees as leopard remains elusive on Mysuru campus

Two drones and a veterinary team were deployed for an aerial search during the operation, he said. No leopard activity has been observed in the areas surrounding the Infosys campus either.

“We have issued instructions to enhance security measures at the Infosys campus and recommended precautionary steps to prevent similar incidents in the future. It is advised that the campus maintain constant surveillance, particularly using thermal drones at night," Basavaraj said.

No Infosys official was immediately available to comment.

Offline training

Late last week, about 7,000 trainees undergoing training at the Mysuru campus were asked to leave for their respective hometowns after the wild animal couldn't be traced, sources told Moneycontrol.

Trainees were told they could leave for their respective hometowns on January 10-11.

They were given the option of either leaving directly from Mysuru or aboard a bus provided by Infosys to be transported to Bengaluru.

While training is being conducted online, they have been asked to report back to the campus by January 26.