Another leopard sighted at Tirupati’s Alipiri; man falls off bike in panic

Leopard sightings near Alipiri cause panic among Tirupati residents, highlighting the need for increased safety measures.

Yet another leopard sighting near Alipiri, on the foothill of Tirumala hills, has sent a fresh wave of panic among the residents of Tirupati as well as the travellers who frequent the road during nights.

D. Muni Kumar, working as a contract employee at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams’ (TTD) Aswini Hospital at Tirumala hills, had a flash encounter with a leopard on Saturday (January 11, 2025) on Saluva Narasimharaya Marg (Alipiri–Cherlopalli road), close to Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park premises.

The leopard suddenly jumped off the road median to cross the road towards the abutting forest. Muni Kumar, who sighted the big cat in close range, panicked and tried to move away from the divider, when his vehicle skidded and collapsed on the road. He sustained serious injury on his head and shoulder.

Fellow road users got him admitted to SVR Ruia Government General Hospital, from where he was shifted to SVIMS hospital, where he is recovering. TTD’s Forest Officer V. Srinivasulu and Forest Range Officer (Tirupati Wildlife Management Circle) Sudarshan Reddy reached the spot and identified the leopard’s pug marks.

Leopards have been making frequent appearances on this road during the last several months, sending a chill down the spine of road users and giving sleepless nights to the Forest Department staff. The last sighting was reported just a month ago.

Abutting the Tirumala forest, the region is currently dotted by high-profile institutions such as Sri Venkateswara Vedic University, Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, ANGRAU’s Sri Venkateswara Agricultural College, SVICCAR (Tata Cancer Institute), SV Aravind Eye Hospital, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Andhra Pradesh State Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, SVBC Channel etc.

Most institutions are situated on one side of the road, while the forest is just across the six-lane highway, making the porous border no barrier for the movement of animals. Even deer are regularly sighted on this road stretch.