Officials find pug marks of leopards in the premises of the resort.

Officials find pug marks of leopards in the premises of the resort.

Officials find pug marks of leopards in the premises of the resort.

Wayanad: Tourists staying at a resort in Valathoor near Vaduvanchal, Meppadi, had an unexpected visitor around noon on Friday. One of the guests, looking out the window, was startled to find a leopard staring back at him.

Without losing his composure, the man managed to photograph the wild ‘guest’ and promptly alerted the resort staff. Initially, the staff dismissed the sighting as a hallucination or misunderstanding. However, they were forced to reconsider after verifying the photograph.

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To their shock, CCTV footage later revealed not just one, but two leopards roaming within the resort premises.

News of the leopards' appearance quickly made its way to social media, prompting a mix of amusement and alarm. One user joked, "Give them a room—let them enjoy a honeymoon in the comfy resort instead of the rough bushes of the jungle!"

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Alerted by the resort management, a team from the South Wayanad Forest Division inspected the premises and confirmed that the pug marks found belonged to leopards. A forest official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that leopards have been known to roam this region for generations.

"These wild animals typically stray into the area only at night. It’s surprising and unusual for them to appear during the daytime," he added.

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“Wayanad is essentially jungle country, and it’s not uncommon for wild animals to cross into human settlements during migration or while hunting for prey,” said CP Sailesh of the Wayanad Tourism Organisation. “These kinds of visuals didn’t appear on social media earlier simply because there were no CCTV cameras back then,” he added, noting that nocturnal movements of big cats are a regular occurrence in areas adjacent to forest and plantation zones.

Residents of Meppadi’s plantation areas continue to live in fear, as leopard sightings and incidents of livestock being attacked have become increasingly common.