MUMBAI: Despite keeping forest department officials on their toes for three consecutive days, the big cat smartly managed to escape from the research workshop of IIT-Bombay. On Saturday, after a search, the forest officials handed over the workshop to the IIT.

After a leopard was spotted on Wednesday morning in the metallurgical engineering and materials science (MEMS) department's workshop, the employees had pulled down its shutters and shut all exit points. The entire perimeter around the workshop was cordoned off and officials from the Thane forest circle and Sanjay Gandhi National Park were called.

Though forest officials along with the personnel of some NGOs kept vigil at the spot, they were not able to locate the big cat except once on Wednesday night. His presence inside was confirmed when a forest official entered the workshop in a caged trolley and found faeces of the animal. "When we entered the workshop, we saw some broken openings on the rooftop. Probably, the loud noise on Thursday came when the leopard tried to climb the cupboard to get to the rooftop to escape," said Sudhir Padwale, assistant conservator of forest, Thane (territorial).

K D Thakare, deputy conservator of forest (territorial), Tha8ne, said, "On Saturday, from 2am to 3.30am, combing operations were carried out by forest officials. No leopard was found in the lab."

Forest officials said it was good that the animal had escaped unharmed because had he remained trapped, he would have required to be in captivity for 4-5 days for a medical examination, after which he would have been released.

Such procedures are known to stress the animal a bit.

Pawan Sharma, founder of NGO Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare , said, "After sending a robot with a night vision camera attached to it, bursting crackers and checking all corners and yet not locating the leopard, we entered the workshop at 2am on Saturday but found nothing."

Meanwhile, IIT-B has increased vigilance at night. "Night patrolling has been intensified across the campus and students and other residents have been advised against venturing out alone to secluded areas during late hours. The institute has deployed a security guard at the workshop and a tight vigil is maintained around the metallurgical engineering and materials science workshop area," said a statement by the institute. Officials added that academic activity was hardly disrupted during the last three days. An official from the institute said that the security was stepped up since the day the leopard was first spotted. "The workshop will now be used as and when it is required as per the schedule. There was no damage seen inside the workshop due to the leopard's presence," said the official. No fresh advisory was issued on Saturday.

