A leopard was recently seen walking along the railway tracks inside the Bhanwartank Tunnel on the Bilaspur-Katni railway line. In response to the sighting, the train crew reduced the train’s speed to avoid a potential collision. This unusual encounter was recorded on video from the locomotive, and the footage has since gone viral on social media, showing the leopard calmly walking between the rails while the train followed at a slower pace.
The crew immediately reduced the train’s speed, giving the animal enough time to move away from the track. The leopard continued walking through the tunnel for some distance before eventually leaving the railway corridor and disappearing into the surrounding forest. The incident took place in a densely forested, hilly stretch where wildlife movement is relatively common. Leopards, elephants and other animals are known to move through the area, occasionally bringing them close to or onto railway tracks and raising the risk of accidents. Following the sighting, forest officials increased patrols and monitoring in the area to track wildlife movement and check whether the leopard remained near the railway corridor. The incident has also highlighted concerns over the safety of railway employees who inspect and maintain tracks in the forested section, often on foot.
The train was passing through the Khongsara-Bhanwartank section when the locomotive pilot spotted the leopard ahead, according to reports.
