NAGPUR, Dec. 11 -- Residents of Shiv Nagar in East Nagpur's Pardi area woke up to a shock on early Wednesday morning when a leopard strayed into the locality, attacking several people while attempting to find its way out. At least seven were injured and had to be rushed to Shri Bhavani Hospital in Pardi and the Government Medical College and Hospital at Nagpur. The incident sparked widespread panic and even found mention in the ongoing winter session of the state legislature, where the government gave an assurance that steps would be taken to prevent more such episodes. On Wednesday morning, videos circulating on social media showed the leopard entering a house through the terrace. Residents said it appeared suddenly around 6.30am, leading to chaos. The animal, which reportedly turned aggressive after sensing human movement, was spotted struggling to escape from the terrace, attempting repeatedly to climb over the parapet before perching there briefly. The forest department was alerted immediately, and the leopard was eventually captured by the Transit Treatment Centre (TTC) team from Seminary Hills after a difficult four-hour operation. According to the state wildlife department, the TTC team received a distress call at around 6.35 am. The leopard is believed to have entered the locality during the night and tried to escape after sunrise, attacking several people in the process. It finally took shelter in a cramped spot near a house where a cooler was placed. Poor visibility and congested surroundings made tranquillisation difficult, forcing TTC officials to fire two darts before successfully sedating the leopard, which attempted to attack the officials too. The complications increased when the vehicle transporting the sedated animal broke down midway, prompting officials to hire a smaller vehicle to complete the journey. The leopard is now in the TTC for treatment and observation. Forest minister Ganesh Naik had just a day earlier announced measures to curb the rise in leopard-related incidents. During the legislature session, he said that goats would be released in forest areas to ensure that leopards found prey within their habitat and did not wander into human settlements. Naik later met the injured persons at the hospital and confirmed that all were out of danger. He said the government was working to ensure that such incidents did not recur. "Our efforts are focused on keeping leopards confined to forests," he said. "However, if a leopard wanders into a city, the forest department will alert residents and respond swiftly. The entire state is affected by increasing leopard encounters, and we are working to address the issue." Naik added that the government had granted permission to sterilise leopards on a limited and experimental basis. "Within six months, we will know whether the project is successful. After that, we will seek approval from the central government to conduct it on a larger scale," he said, expressing confidence in the initiative....