Nepal's only international airport was briefly closed on Monday after a leopard was seen moving on the runway, disrupting flight operations.
The pilot of Buddha Air had informed Air Traffic Control (ATC) at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu of the sighting on the runway at around 7:45 am, said TIA spokesperson Prem Nath Thakur.
The leopard disappeared into the storm drains along the runway. A search is on to locate the animal.
Security agencies including police, hunters and forest officials have been deployed to the spot.
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The pilot of Buddha Air informed us that he saw a leopard-like animal on the airport ground. We have called Forest Office officials.Prem Nath Thakur
The closure, which lasted for about half an hour, led to a disruption of flight operations.
The international airport in Nepal's capital Kathmandu is located at the edge of a forested area to its north.
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