12 year old boy locks leopard in office in Malegaon; rescued later

Mohit Ahire, who is only 12 years old, managed to contain his composure in the face of a dangerous encounter with a leopard. He trapped the wildcat inside an office cabin until assistance arrived in Malegaon on Tuesday morning.

The boy was the talk of the town, known for his bravery and intelligence. Ahire, the son of a security guard at a wedding hall, claimed that the leopard passed him and entered the office when it was only a foot or so away.

12 year old boy locks #leopard in office in #Malegaon; rescued later https://t.co/vL0xCSLn6s pic.twitter.com/DChhrxHz9l

— Pune Pulse (@pulse_pune) March 6, 2024

At the Sai Celebration wedding hall on the Malegaon-Nampur Road, the incident happened at seven in the morning.

Ahire was playing on his cellphone while perched on a bench close to the wedding hall’s booking office. He was startled to see the leopard approaching him. The terrified boy went unnoticed by the animal, though.

The leopard was so close, the boy claimed. The leopard and him barely had any room to move. It entered the office’s inner cabin directly in front of him. Despite his fear, he was able to slip out of the office and off the bench in silence. Shutting the door, he left it behind.

The 12-year-old said he has received a lot of praise for his bravery. The wedding hall’s owner stated that the booking office measures 22 feet by 10 feet. In the office, two sections have been made. In the first compartment close to the entrance sat Mohit Ahire. The leopard ignored the boy and went straight into the inner cabin. The young child maintained his composure as he watched the animal pass by, only a foot or so away. Later, he quietly left the office, closing the door behind him.

The owner added that the leopard had been seen in the neighboring residential area earlier in the morning. Locals had been searching for it, as had the police and forest service. The police, forest service, and other locals arrived at the scene after Ahire informed his father that he had trapped a leopard inside the office. The booking office shutter was pulled down.

The forest officer from Malegaon range stated that when the boy caught the leopard in the wedding hall’s office, their staff was present in the neighborhood. They quickly dialed a Nashik City team. Subsequently, the male leopard, who was five years old, was tranquilized and saved.

The officer added that because there are a lot of agricultural fields nearby and the Mousam River flows by the area only a few kilometers, there have been reports of leopard sightings in the past.