Pune/Thane: A leopard on the prowl in Shirur tehsil of Pune district was captured on Tuesday in the same locality where a 13-year-old boy was found killed two days back, forest officials said.
However, it is not yet confirmed whether the same feline had fatally attacked the teenager and two other individuals in the recent past.
Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik said the captured big cat is likely to be shifted to the Vantara rehabilitation facility in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
The forest department had issued a shoot-at-sight order against the leopard that is suspected to have killed at least three individuals in Shirur tehsil in the past few weeks, including the 13-year-old Rohan Bombe.
“We captured a male leopard, aged around 5 to 6, from the Pimparkhed area. The leopard walked into one of the cages set by us,” said Smita Rajhans, assistant conservator of forests, Junnar Forest Division.
Bombe became the latest victim of the feline attack on Sunday, marking the third case of human-animal conflict in a month, apparently involving the same leopard. The incident led to angry protests by villagers who set a patrolling van of the forest department on fire.
People from leopard attack-prone regions like Junnar, Ambegaon, and Shirur in Pune district organised a “rasta roko” near Avsari on the Pune-Nashik Highway on Monday to protest against the frequent attacks by big cats.
On Monday, forest authorities ordered the capture and “elimination” of the animal and deployed a team of five sharpshooters in the area.
Rajhans said the captured leopard will be shifted to the Vantara facility.
“It is yet to be confirmed whether the captured feline is the same big cat that fatally attacked the boy on Sunday. It will be ascertained only after DNA profiling,” she told PTI.
The forest officer said the District Collector Jitendra Dudi visited the area and interacted with the locals. He informed them that the state government has sanctioned additional cages and other resources to capture the feline.
“It has already been decided that the captured leopards will be shifted to Jamnagar-based Vantara,” she said, adding that a team of sharpshooters remained stationed in the area and a search for other leopards is still on.
Meanwhile, in the wake of human-animal conflict in the region, minister Naik has announced an “urgent relocation drive” for felines and a comprehensive action plan.
Addressing an emergency meeting at Mantralaya on Tuesday, Naik said 200 cages will be installed immediately to capture leopards in the affected zones, while another 1,000 cages will be procured on a war footing.
“Captured leopards will be relocated promptly to suitable habitats. We will use artificial intelligence for satellite-based tracking and early warning systems to alert citizens about leopard movements,” he added.
Naik directed officials to implement both short-term and long-term preventive measures immediately, including increasing the number of forest personnel in the affected regions, installing solar (electric) fencing around farmlands and cattle sheds adjoining forest areas.
“The state government has sanctioned Rs 10 crore for the urgent purchase of cages and related equipment,” the minister said.
Naik further informed that a proposal for sterilisation of leopards has been submitted to the Central government, and an all-party delegation, along with senior forest officials, will soon meet the Union Forest Minister. PTI COR SPK ND NSK
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