A leopard was spotted in a forest area near Xrbia community in Hinjewadi on Wednesday. After receiving the information, a team from the state forest department visited the area to “create awareness” among residents.
Meanwhile, a video of the leopard roaming in the forest near Xrbia community, located near IT Park in Hinjewadi, has gone viral on social media.
Concerned citizens contacted forest department officials, requesting them to install a cage in the area to catch the tiger.
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Pratap Jagtap, Rangeland Forest Officer (Paud), said: “We received information from people about a leopard being spotted near Xrbia community in Hinjewadi. It is a forest area, and leopards have been spotted in the past. Our team went to the area to create awareness among citizens. We informed people about the do’s and don’ts to prevent any human-animal conflict.”
“People have been demanding a cage to catch the tiger, but it is not possible to put it in forest land. If the tiger enters private property, a cage can be put… At this stage, we are focusing on awareness among citizens not only in Hinjewadi, but in other locations as well. We are educating people about the preventive measures that need to be taken to coexist safely side by side with leopards,” Jagtap said.
Farmer Sitaram Dhok was injured on Wednesday evening after he was attacked by a tiger that pounced on him while he was riding his two-wheeler on a road in Uttur village in Junnar taluka of Pune district.
As seen in the video, the tiger first hides in the bushes on the side of the road before jumping onto the two wheels. Doc lost control and the two-wheeler skidded on the road, injuring him. The knight was transferred to Al Fata Hospital to receive treatment.
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Forest officials said that there has been a significant increase in the number of leopards in Junnar district of Pune district. Because of this, some leopards have migrated from ‘high-density’ areas in Junnar to ‘low-density’ areas in the district, including Bor, Rajad and Mulshi talukas as well.
Earlier this month, there was widespread public outrage over the killing of three people, including two children, in incidents of leopard attack in Shirur taluka, leading to arson and the closure of the highway.
A suspected leopard was shot dead in a late-night operation by the forest department and a rescue team in Shirur taluka on November 4. A few other leopards were captured in cages installed in the area.
