Overview
- Devotees spotted a leopard perched in a tree near roughly the 2,700–2,754th step on the Alipiri–Tirumala footpath on Tuesday, triggering panic and people fleeing the route.
- Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Vigilance and local Forest Department officials rushed to the spot and launched operations aimed at guiding the animal back into the forest.
- HANUMAN teams, veterinarians and forest staff were deployed and security personnel were placed on high alert as authorities monitored the corridor for further movement.
- By the time officials arrived the leopard had retreated into nearby forest and there were no reported injuries, so authorities are emphasizing group travel and supervising children on the route.
- This is the third reported leopard movement on the Alipiri trekking corridor, a forested stretch of roughly 2,700 steps used by many pilgrims, which has prompted sustained monitoring and may lead to more routine patrols and safety measures.