A heart-stopping accident was recorded on camera close to Tirupati as a leopard lunged at a moving bicycle, barely missing the bikers. The viral social media video featuring the leopard jumping at the two-wheeler in motion from the roadside bushes was captured by the dashcam of one of the vehicles. Miraculously, the bikers managed to speed off without braking until the very last moment without realizing the danger lurking behind.
The encounter happened late at night on the SV Zoo Park road and the leopard crept very close to the bike before failing by inches and withdrawing into the shadows. This near-miss has questioned the presence of leopards in the locality, especially on routes that go towards Tirumala and along the Alipiri walkway. There have been similar sightings over the past few months, with another instance in March when a leopard was seen on the Alipiri footpath.
CCTV recorded the leopards walking around the shops in Galigopuram at 1 am during the previous incident, but no devotees or injury during these coliding events. Therefore, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) had taken precautionary measures such as previously only allowing pilgrim trekking in groups. Now after the most recent incident, questions have emerged about the adequacy of these precautionary measures and whether there is a need for more safety measures to protect the public.
