📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Rodrick rajive lal
Local
Leopard Rana missing for 18 days from Jaipur's Jhalana sanctuary
✍️ Bhaskar English
🗓 14 Oct 2026, 07:46 AM
👁 16
The resident leopard named Rana has not been sighted in Jhalana wildlife sanctuary for 18 days, prompting officials to launch a search operation.
Jaipur's Jhalana wildlife sanctuary reported that the resident leopard, known locally as Rana, has been missing for 18 days. Forest officials first noticed the animal's absence after routine camera‑trap footage failed to capture its usual movements.
The disappearance has triggered a coordinated search involving forest rangers, local volunteers, and wildlife experts. Teams are combing the dense scrub and grassland areas of the sanctuary, using tracking dogs and thermal imaging equipment to locate the animal.
Authorities have not confirmed any signs of injury or poaching, but they are monitoring the situation closely. The sanctuary, which houses several big cats, remains under heightened surveillance to ensure the safety of its remaining residents.
If Rana is found, officials plan to conduct a health assessment before deciding whether to return it to its territory or relocate it to a more secure enclosure. The incident underscores the challenges of managing wildlife in human‑adjacent habitats.
The disappearance has triggered a coordinated search involving forest rangers, local volunteers, and wildlife experts. Teams are combing the dense scrub and grassland areas of the sanctuary, using tracking dogs and thermal imaging equipment to locate the animal.
Authorities have not confirmed any signs of injury or poaching, but they are monitoring the situation closely. The sanctuary, which houses several big cats, remains under heightened surveillance to ensure the safety of its remaining residents.
If Rana is found, officials plan to conduct a health assessment before deciding whether to return it to its territory or relocate it to a more secure enclosure. The incident underscores the challenges of managing wildlife in human‑adjacent habitats.