Three persons were injured and taken to hospital after a leopard made its way into Kannur town area in Kerala on Sunday.

According to media reports, the wild cat was spotted near Thazhetheru Moideen mosque in the outskirts of Kannur town. With authorities unable to capture the leopard, section 144 was imposed in the area by the District Collector. The Forest Department has also issued an alert and advised residents of the area to stay indoors.

Officials from the police, forest and fire departments have initiated a combing operation. Latest reports from the ground suggest that the leopard disappeared into the bushes behind a mosque and crossed a nearby railway track.

Among the three injured, one was a migrant worker from Bengal while the other two were locals. All of them are being treated at the district hospital.

According to Prasanth, a local, the leopard was seen around 2.30 pm in the area. "Nobody has any idea from where it came from. The leopard is now hiding behind the bushes. The officials are awaiting waiting for forest officials to come and tranquilize the leopard," he said. Kannur District Collector could not be reached for a comment despite several attempts.

Kannur MP PK Sreemathi with whom The News Minute spoke to expressed her astonishment over the matter.

“Even the District Forest Officer has no idea where the leopard came from. This s the first time such an incident has occurred. A veterinary doctor from Wayanad is on his way,” Sreemathi told TNM.

On March 3, 2016, a 61-year-old man was killed by a leopard in Pathanamthitta when he went to collect feed for his cattle.