Leopard spotted outside aluminium plant !!!!

On our travels around the globe we have visited many aluminium plants. What we enjoy is learning about the local culture and challenges that each plant deals with on a daily basis. On occasion during our visits we will ask our hosts about unusual incidents. Most common answers involve nature. From typhoons, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, grassland fires, etc. Almost every plant has dealt with some natural event. Many of these same plants have interaction with nature in the form of wild animals. We have been told countless stories of wild animals who enter plants. Many of these incidents result in no injuries. On one recent visit we were toured a plant who for a period of time had a hippopotamus enter their factory gates. Yes a hippo. We did laugh when we heard that. We do acknowledge hippos are very dangerous. Here is a recent story highlighting the need to consider wild animals in your safety plans:

The search for the stray leopard sighted in Hindalco Aluminium factory on the outskirts of Belagavi, India continues on November 9, 2018. However, the wildcat remains elusive. Nearly 25 forest department staff and city police (with the support of locals) searched for the leopard on Friday afternoon. 

This is the video from the bank.

Interestingly, Forest officials have roped in pig catchers to trace the ferocious feline. Pig catchers from Rukmani Nagar in the city, armed with nets, are searching the factory premises. A big part of the factory flanks the Kakati forest range. The leopard was sighted by morning walkers, but the search operations began nearly six hours later. The leopard was caught on the CCTV camera installed by Syndicate Bank. The bank is located in the factory's residential colony. The bank staff called the jurisdictional Malmaruti police. 

Assistant Conservator of Forests S. Sangolli said, leopards usually rest during the day and hunt at night. They hide in big trees. Forest officials decided to lay a trap. A cage is being brought by the Forest staff of Khanapur range. Meanwhile, the factory's colony residents, have been asked to stay indoors. Public announcements were made using speakers. Residents have been asked not the move about alone; but in groups. They have been told not to let children outside. 

Wildlife warden Sachin Patil, Deputy Conservator of Forests Amarnath, and police officials, have camped at the factory. It may be recalled, that a tiger had ventured into Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) campus in Belagavi, two years ago. The tiger was killed to protect human lives.

UPDATE:

The residents of Hindalco Colony were Panic-stricken after a few of the residents spotted a leopard in the forest behind the Hindalco plant itself and CCTV footage which was unclear but all said it to be a Leopard, but now with the latest CCTV footage it appears that it was not a leopard but a civet cat.

On November 9, the movement was caught on the CCTV camera installed by Syndicate Bank. The bank is located in the factory’s residential colony. The CCTV footage was really not clear to clearly establish that it;s a leopard but it looks similar.

Now the Forest officials have clarified that it was this wild cat only that was captured by the CCTV then.

The colony residents, had been asked to stay indoors and also were asked not the move about alone; but in groups and also the residents have been told not to let children outside.

On the other hand, the Leopard sighted in Kudremani is still elusive and forest officials of both Karnataka and Maharashtra are on its look out.

The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog is happy that no one was injured or killed in this potential hazard. Let alone that the leopard turned out to be a smaller feline that is considered not dangerous.

Though this story may seem humorous there is valuable information that can be taken from it. How the local residents, company, and government officials worked together to address this issue. For that we are very proud. The first thing we tell new plant managers is to get out into the community and meet the local residents. Many times our plants are major employers for local communities. Plant management has to be willing to interact the local residents so that both parties can coexist peacefully. Many plants have wellness days for that same reason, the interaction of company employees with local residents.

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