Panic near Govt hospital with reported movement of leopard

Udhgamandalam: The government hospital here has been brought under strict surveillance of officials from forest and police departments, following the reported movement of a leopard on the premises, police said today. A patient in the men`s ward reported to the authorities last night that he noticed a leopard moving on the premises, after he heard continuous barking from the dogs. The doctors and other staff, who came out, also saw the animal going out of the premises, police said. Based on information, about 50 personnel from Forest, Fire and Rescue and Police department had rushed to the area in search of the carnivorous. However, they could not trace the animal, police said. All the male patients in the ward were shifted to other wards, for safety. The District Collector P Sankar and DFO Bhadrasami visited the hospital today, to take stock of the situation, since panic gripped among the patients and staff in the hospital. With the help of workers in the municipality, all the bushes and small plants in and around were chopped and cleared, as the area, being in the heart of this tourist town, houses hospital, library and Court and nearly 50 persons from police and forest department were keeping strict vigil, they said.