A leopard strayed into a locality near North Bengal University on the northwest outskirts of Siliguri on Sunday.

Residents informed foresters who reached the spot and placed a cage with a goat as alive bait to trap the leopard and release it into the wild. However, it remained traceless till late on Sunday.

Around 2pm, the leopard was spotted at Indirapally, a residential area in Shivmandiroff Asian Highway-II.

“It came out from a bush, scaled a wall and disappeared in a matter of seconds,” said a resident.

As news spread, hundreds of people reached the site. A Matigara police team came to keep crowds under control. Foresters from Bagdogra range of Kurseong forest division, teams from Sukna wildlife squad and the elephant squad of Taipoo (near Bagdogra) joined them.

“There are tea gardens nearby and a green cover in the vast NBU campus. This is the breeding season for female leopards, who often stray into nearby tea gardens and villages to give birth,” said a forest officer. “Our men are on the spot. The vigil will go on till the leopard is trapped or spotted.”