Indian forestry authorities have laid traps for a leopard that was spotted prowling near campuses used by tech services giants Infosys and TCS.

The beast was spotted yesterday in the Indore Super Corridor, a zone that boasts it “has been rated as the best destination to spend your entire life living in your dream home” as it blends modern amenities with rural land, plus employment opportunities thanks to the presence of substantial Infosys and TCS campuses.

India Today reported that sightings of the beast sparked panic on the Infosys campus.

The Press Trust of India Xeeted footage of forestry workers driving a vehicle bearing a predator-corralling cage intended to restrain the big cat if it is captured.

Traps have reportedly been laid to lure and secure the leopard, but the extent of greenery around the Super Corridor means it’s thought the creature may escape.

The beast’s presence is not anomalous: leopards can survive on small game so frequently inhabit small patches of forest, unlike India’s lions and tigers which favour larger fare and therefore forage more widely.

The feline threat emerged after TCS’s October 2023 edict that staff must return to on-prem work. Infosys has also become increasingly insistent that staff return to on-prem work for at least three days a week.

The two services giants want workers on campus because it’s felt it enhances productivity and collaboration, never mind that workers the world over have come to appreciate the smaller time commitment and lower costs that without a commute, or the need to maintain a suitable wardrobe for the world of work.

The Register is unaware of any fashion house that designs its wares to impress the boss and defeat the teeth and claws of apex predators.

Thanfully such hybrid attire appears not to be needed in Indore: despite the reports of panicked techies, we cannot find any reports of consultants being threatened by tooth or claw. ®

https://www.theregister.com//2024/01/17/leopard_infosys_tcs_india/