Wild leopard shuts down India’s largest automobile plant

A Maruti Suzuki facility in Manesar, India shut down for 36 hours after a wild leopard strayed onto the premises.

The facility, which manufactures on an average 5,000 petrol and diesel engines daily, is India’s largest automobile plant.

The leopard was spotted by security guards at 4am local time on Thursday morning. The plant was shut down and the workers were evacuated.

A team of 100 forest and police officials cordoned off the entire complex and started searching for the animal.

The combing operation failed to trace the animal in the large campus spread across 600 acres.

Rescuers came across foot prints and the CCTV cameras gave tantalising glimpses of the animal, which managed to remain elusive.

The forest officials also brought in two live goats and raw meat to lure the leopard into a cage, though it steered clear of them.

The big cat was spotted at 1.45 pm on Friday by officials, who were monitoring CCTV cameras.

A team rushed to the Engine Plant and tranquillised it.

A senior forest official R Anand said: “We will examine the leopard’s condition and then release it back to its natural habitat.”

It is suspected that the leopard may have strayed from Aravali Hills, a nearby forest area