The search and rescue operation for a leopard continued for a third day in a row at a group housing society in Greater Noida (West) where it was spotted earlier this week, officials said on Thursday.

Residents of the society have curtailed their outdoor movements ever since they were alerted about the big cat's movement in the area and suspected its presence in the basement of an under-construction residential tower on their premises.

Teams of forest department from Gautam Buddh Nagar are stationed at Ajnara Le Garden society in Sector 16 of Greater Noida (West), also known as Noida Extension. Additional experts have also been roped in from Agra, Ghaziabad and Meerut, a senior officer said.

"Three goats have also been brought at the site as bait in the trap cages for the stranded feline,” Gautam Buddh Nagar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Pramod Kumar Srivastava said. The leopard sighting on Tuesday triggered panic among residents of the group housing society, which inhabits around 1,500 people.

"No doubt, residents are very concerned about their safety," Mukesh Gupta, who lives with his family on the 15th floor, told PTI on Wednesday.

Gupta's wife was among those who claimed to have seen the feline moving around in the area on Wednesday morning.

"My wife saw the leopard moving in the society on Wednesday morning. It was a little misty when she noticed the leopard near the swimming pool," Gupta said.

Amit Kumar, another resident, said home delivery services were also curtailed and common areas made inaccessible in the society as people were taking utmost caution if stepping out.

The society has around 16 residential towers of which five to six are under construction. The leopard was spotted in one of the under-construction towers' basement on Tuesday.

A couple of blurred pictures of the animal also emerged, according to the society residents.