COIMBATORE: The Naduvattam police station in the Nilgiris spent several anxious moments on Monday night after a leopard casually strolled into the station around 8:30 pm. A cop on duty, seated in one of the rooms, spotted the leopard, smartly maintaining his calm until the animal retreated.

Once the leopard walked out, probably disappointed as it didn’t find anything to prey on, the cop closely followed it and shut the doors. A CCTV recording of the leopard’s visit to the station has garnered several views on social media.

Although an uneventful encounter, police officers have urged the forest department to take adequate measures to prevent further leopard intrusions. This was the first time that a leopard entered the station, which is located near a forest area.

Meanwhile, Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forests, praised the cop for his mindful act. “A leopard decided to inspect the Naduvattam police station in the Nilgiris. Hats off to the police officer who calmly closed the door and called the forest officials. No one was hurt. The leopard went back safely to the forest,” she said in a witty tweet on X.