Haridwar, July 27 -- After the conclusion of the Kanwar Yatra, the Haridwar-Najibabad-Kotdwar national highway, once bustling with tens of thousands of kanwariyas, has once again become a zone of concern due to increasing movement of wild animals, particularly leopards and elephants. Villagers from the Laldhang-Shyampur region have reported multiple leopard sightings in recent days. On Wednesday night, a leopard allegedly dragged away a goat tied outside a house along the highway, according to local residents. Similar sightings have been reported from Chamaria, Nayagaon, Jaspur, and Shyampur villages. "Since the vehicular Dak Kanwars left Haridwar, there's been a noticeable increase in leopard sightings. Elephants near the forested stretches of the highway are also being sighted," said Anil Kumar, a resident of Laldhang. "For the past two weeks, due to the presence of pilgrims, loud music, DJ systems, vehicle lights, and group chants, wild animals kept away. But now they are returning," Kumar added. Forest officials confirmed heightened patrolling in the affected areas. "We've intensified patrolling in villages and highway stretches prone to wild animal movement," said Gautam Rathore, section officer at Katebadh forest post. htc...