Animal at Rashtrapati Bhavan Identified as House Cat, Not Leopard

June 12th, 2024

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in for his third consecutive term on Sunday at a grand ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The event was attended by 8000 guests, including foreign leaders, business tycoons, dignitaries and renowned film stars. 

However, the buzz on social media wasn’t just confined to the political event. 

When BJP MP Durga Das Uikey was greeting President Droupadi Murmu after his swearing-in, a cat-like creature was captured on camera in the background. The video clip set off wild theories about the mysterious animally casually walking through the presidential palace. Was it a leopard, a big cat, or a giant dog? No one was sure about it. 

Finally, the Delhi Police had to come out and end all kinds of rumours. A top official of Delhi Police tweeted on X “These facts are not true, the animal captured on camera is a common house cat. Please don’t adhere to such frivolous rumours

With a span of 330 acres, the President’s Estate boasts rich bio-diversity, including open spaces, forests, parks, gardens, fruit trees water bodies, etc. All of them promote an extensive range of flora and fauna.

A 75-acre natural trail has been made to promote awareness about nature conservation. The trail consists of both a managed and natural ecosystem that links to Rashtrapati Bhavan’s garden via well-laden paths. It has a pond ecosystem, butterfly corner, peacock point, mango orchard and a forest area.

The trail hosts 136 plant species and 84 animal species such as frogs, lizards and snakes.