Leopard spotted wandering around factory

CAR factories may see the occasional wildcat strikes but one plant in India suffered from a different kind of feline problem when a wandering leopard caused a shutdown for nearly two days.

The Maruti Suzuki factory in Manesar, 20 miles south of New Delhi, had to halt production after security guards saw the leopard enter the premises in the early hours of Thursday. CCTV images showed the animal prowling around the facility and staff were immediately evacuated.

The 7am shift was then cancelled, leaving more than 1,000 arriving workers locked out as wildlife rangers tried to corner the leopard and catch it.

Eventually, with production halted for a day and a half, the beast was caught by wildlife department rangers using a tranquilliser gun. “We will examine its condition before releasing it back into its natural habitat,” said a spokesman for the divisional forest department. The drawn-out operation appeared farcical at times, with wildlife officials using firecrackers to try and scare the animal out of its hiding place.

They then placed live goats in cages around the factory to try and entice it, drawing complaints on Twitter. Leopards entering urban areas have increased in India in recent years as their natural habitats have been destroyed.