Operation Guldaaar Launched in Bijnor’s Najibabad Forest Division to Capture Leopard Threatening Villages
Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh | 13 September 2025 — In a high-alert mission named Operation Guldaaar, forest and wildlife officials have launched a coordinated effort to capture a leopard that has been causing panic in villages under Kaudia Range of the Najibabad Forest Division.
Permission for tranquilizing the big cat was formally granted by the Chief Wildlife Warden in Lucknow. The rescue operation is being carried out under the supervision of wildlife expert and veterinarian Dr. Daksh Gangwar, with on-ground monitoring by the Conservator of Forests, Moradabad, and the Field Director of the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.
On Saturday, teams were deployed around villages including Naya Gaon, Kandara Bali, Badhia Bala, and Mathurapur Mod, where leopard sightings had triggered fear among locals. Six cages placed earlier were checked, and thermal drones were deployed to scan the dense terrain. A dedicated tracking and combing unit has been stationed at Naya Gaon to camp and continue monitoring until the leopard is successfully tranquilized and captured.
The tranquilizing team has already reached Najibabad and is camping nearby to ensure a swift operation. The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) has been directed to ensure the leopard, identified as responsible for human casualties, is captured within three days. To minimize risk, open baiting has been ordered at sensitive spots, along with intensified morning and evening patrolling. Awareness drives are also being conducted in villages to keep residents alert and safe.
Forest officials emphasized that all teams will remain stationed in Najibabad until the operation concludes. The campaign underscores the administration’s urgency to balance public safety with wildlife conservation.
As human-wildlife conflicts rise across forest-fringe villages in western Uttar Pradesh, Operation Guldaaar stands as a critical test of rapid response, coordination, and the delicate challenge of saving lives while ensuring the leopard is captured without harm.
