Bengaluru: A renowned wildlife conservationist and a forest official were attacked by a leopard in an elite schoo in east Bengaluru on Sunday before it was tranquillized and captured at the end of a drama lasting 16 hours.Security guards at Vib gyor High, Marathahalli, in Thubarahalli, off Whitefield Road, spotted the eight-year old male leopard entering the school around 4am, and flashed an alert. From the crack of dawn, a 200-strong team of rescue personnel from police and forest departments camped at the spot, armed with dart guns, cages and nets. Hundreds of people from neighbouring localities and villages perched on adjacent buildings and tree tops.The leopard, which played hide-and-seek with the rescue team and onlookers, cut loose during the final stages of the operation to nab it and attacked wildlife expert Sanjay Gubbi, who was assisting the authorities and forest officials.Around 6pm, forest per sonnel were closing in on the leopard hiding in one of the school rooms when the big cat suddenly sprang out and darted towards the swim ming pool. The leopard attacked a forest official but he managed to ward it off. Gubbi, at the other end of the swimming pool, was taken by surprise when the leopard turned towards him. He rushed towards the compound wall and tried to scale it, but was pulled down by the leopard, which attacked him and grabbed his hands. Gubbi tried to chase it away with his binoculars. By then, the big cat was shot with a tranquillizer and shifted its attention away from Gubbi. It ran towards the restroom, where it collapsed around 6.20pm.Around 8.20pm, the animal was put into a cage.“The restroom being an open space, officials wanted to be sure before they moved in. The leopard was shifted to Bannerghatta Rescue Centre,“ said MB Boralingaiah, DCP , Southeast.Deepika, deputy conservator of forests (Bengaluru Urban), said the operation was a tough one, given the crowds that had gathered.“The leopard is kept for treatment and observation at our rescue centre. The forest department will take a call on relocating it tomorrow,“ said Santosh Kumar, executive director, Bannerghatta Biological Park. Gubbi and the forest official are out of danger and under treatment at a hospital.Earlier in the day , school security personnel confirmed the presence of the leopard after going through CCTV footage. Santosh Kumar said he received a request from the Bengaluru Urban forest department to tranquillize the leopard, and sent veterinary experts immediately . Till afternoon, there was no sign of the leopard.By 4pm, the big cat was spotted again. As a huge crowd moved towards the bush, it ran back into the school where the drama unfolded. The leopard, which had had a free run of the four-floor building, was confined to the restrooms around the swimming pool after it reappeared.Two TV camerapersons were injured in the melee when they fell off a wall while shooting.